Your Song
by gjhill2
Summary: "…how wonderful life is while you're in the world." Finn and Rachel have changed during their months apart. How will these changes affect their relationship when they see each other again? Will they be able to go back to being just friends? Were they ever just friends? Post 4X13, and follows them into their future. Love, heartbreak, friendship, and drama.
1. When the Night it Over

**Rachel:**

I rolled over and picked up my phone on the nightstand, glancing at the time. I silently groaned when I saw that it was 8:00 AM. I hadn't fallen to sleep until late last night, and was feeling the exhaustion already. But, I knew I was never going to get back to sleep—I had too much on my mind. Plus, I had to be up and ready to go by eleven anyways, so I might as well get my day started. Carefully getting out of bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping man next to me, I walked over to my closet and grabbed some workout clothes, my sneakers, and my headphones. I seriously needed to clear my head and distract myself from the thoughts currently floating around in there. I decided that a run in the cold, winter air, would be just the thing to help me. That was definitely better than the other option of staying in bed and crying. I already did enough of that last night.

Unfortunately, as I ran, I couldn't help but think about what had actually happened last night with Brody…

I arrived at the club around eleven o'clock with Kurt on my arm. I was extremely happy because I was done with classes for the week, and it was only Wednesday night. Mr. Schue and Miss. Pillbury's wedding was this Saturday, but the glee club had decided to get together Thursday night for dinner to catch up, since the rest of the weekend could get hectic. Friday night was the rehearsal dinner, and then Saturday afternoon and evening was the wedding ceremony and reception. I was excited and happy for my old teachers, but i could stop thinking that i should be married, or at least still engaged. thinking of seeing Finn made me super anxious, so I tried to put him out of my mind.

The two of us walked up to the bouncer at the entrance of the club and he let us in with a appreciative glance my way, not even bothering to check IDs. I was glad Kurt told me to dress up tonight, or else we would have been in line all night and probably never gotten in. I had on a cute short black dress, black patterned tights, and my black pumps. My brown hair was in waves down my back and my make-up was light except on my eyes, which were lined with dark charcoal.

As soon as we entered, I started my search for Brody. I spotted him with his friends at a small boothe in the back, and dragged Kurt over with me. He was not excited that we were spending our night with people we barely even knew, but Brody invited us and I figured we should get to know his friends. He was kind of our roommate after all. He hadn't moved in completely yet, since he still had to pay rent on his place until the end of the month, but he slept at our place almost every night, so it was starting to feel like it.

As soon as Brody saw me, he yelled my name and jogged over to plant a sloppy and wet kiss on my lips.

_"Hey Babe!"_ he said, as I tried to gently push back from his kiss. He smelled like alcohol, but I could tell that he was just tipsy, not completely drunk yet. _"Good"_, I thought. I don't like him when he's drunk. I've only experienced Brody drunk a handful of times, but it's enough to make me not want to be around him when he was. I began to think back to the party I threw junior year of high school, where Finn described the different types of drunks to me. If I had to describe drunk Brody, I would say he's the type that is happy and having fun one moment, and then angry, pushy, and slightly jealous the next. This was definitely not my favorite combination.

He slipped his hand around my waist and pulled me over to his friends, who were really loud and rowdy. Kurt came up behind me, whispering in my ear, "_Wow, Rachel. I'm so glad we came. Now we get to hang out with a bunch of drunk guys that we've never met before. Goody!"._

I knew he was being sarcastic with his tone and the facial expression he was giving me, and I couldn't blame him. I was not looking forward to this night either. I had met some of his dance friends before, but none of his best friends, so I felt a little awkward and uncomfortable meeting them like this. The music was loud and the drinks were flowing...not exactly ideal for introductions.

One of Brody's friends, Milo I think, handed me a cup of something alcoholic, but I declined. It wasn't that I was against alcohol—I drank occasionally—but I just didn't know this guy, and I wasn't about to take a drink from a stranger, even if he did know Brody. I like to feel comfortable with the people I'm around when I'm drinking, just in case I drank a little too much. I want to know that I'm safe and cared for if i get too drunk. These people were not my friends, and Brody did not seem interested in keeping an eye on me, so I decided that tonight was not a drinking night. I looked over at Brody, who was busy taking shot after shot, trying to catch up to his buddies' alcohol levels.

I sat down in the booth with Kurt with on my left and one of Brody's friends on my right. He introduced himself as Kyle, but he was sitting a little too close for comfort, so I discretely scooted as far over as could.

_"Rachel!"_, Brody drunkenly yelled. _"I'm gonna go have some fun with some of the boys. I'll be back soon, I promise!"_

_"Uh ok, I guess"_ I replied, a little uneasy about being left with Kyle alone. Kurt had left to got to the bar in search of something 'fruity' to get him through the night. Great.

_"Sooo",_ Kyle said, raising his eyebrows and looking my body over slowly. _"You're Brody's girl, huh?"_

_"Um yeah_" I said uncomfortably, leaning away from him. His breath was so strong that I felt like I could get drunk simply by being that close to him. And he was really close to me. Too close.

_"Hmmm"_ he seemed to think it over for a second. Then, with slurred speech, he said, "_Cool! So, what'd you say? How bout we get outa here? Have some fun! Get a little crazy!"_

I just stared at him for a second, before blurting out, "_Are you serious?". _Did he really just ask me to hook up with him while my boyfriend, his friend, was somewhere close by? Or, did i completely misunderstand his intentions.

_"I just told you, Brody's my boyfriend"._ I said, not quite knowing what was going on or what to say.

He simply rolled his eyes at my response and easily said, _"Ah it's fine! Brody's my man! He won't mind if we have a little fun."_ He winked and then caressed my bare arm with his fingertips. I was way passed the point of feeling discomfort, and was completely and utterly weirded out and irritated by this Kyle guy. This was wildly inappropriate.

_"No, I'm good. Thanks."_ I said sarcastically. I tried to say it with conviction, but I'm pretty sure it sounded more weak and puzzled than I wanted.

At this point, I was looking around for Brody to save me from his so-called 'friend', but couldn't see him anywhere. I began to get up, just to escape the creep and find Kurt, when he said, _"Where are you going?"_, his voice whined in my ear. _"Maybe we can just dance? Loosen you up a bit?"_ He said this last bit while his hand traveled down my back, and landed on my butt, slightly squeezing.

_"Oh my God! What the hell do you think your doing?!"_ I yelled, and began to panic while trying to push his hand off of my body.

_"Come on, baby girl. Let's have some fun!"_, he said smirking and winking at me, while still reaching for my ass.

Just as I before I began to freak out even more, I saw Brody coming my way, and sighed in relief.

"_Brody!"_ I said breathlessly. "_I think I'm going to go home, but you can stay and hang out some more. Kurt and I are leaving tomorrow, anyways, so it's probably best if you go back to your place for the weekend, and I'll see when I get back, ok?", _I say, leaning in to give him a small hug goodbye, because I wasn't going to kiss him right now. I was pretty pissed at him for abandoning me with his rude and touchy 'friend'.

_"Noooo. Don't go"_ he spoke, clearly way more intoxicated than the last time I saw him only thirty minutes ago. _"We haven't even spent any time together",_ he whined angrily now.

_"Well, that's not really my fault. You left me here with your friend—who made me feel super uncomfortable, by the way!—while you went off and did what ever the heck you wanted without me."_ I could feel myself start to get angry, but I needed to try and keep my cool. He was drunk and he most likely wouldn't remember this in the morning, so it was better to leave now and not make a scene.

"_What're you talking bout?_ _I'm just trying to have a fun night out with my boys! And, you're being crazy cause my boys are great, and would never make you 're having fun! You know? That thing you never have?"_ he said, getting madder.

I couldn't help it. I was getting mad too, and I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. He either had absolutely no clue who his friends really were, or he doesn't care that they're complete assholes. And, I thought, _I have fun all the time. It's just never with you. _But I figured that would be mean, so I bit my tongue and instead said_, "One of your friends just tried to take me home with him! To have sex! And he grabbed my butt! I wouldn't exactly call that great or respectful!"_

_"Well, at least I have friends! You have Kurt and that's it! And he can't even stand you!"_ That was a low blow, and he knew it. I told him in confidence that one of my biggest insecurities is being friendless, because, I had been there and it was hell. He knew I was terrified of being left by everyone I loved because they didn't really loved me in return—that they were just pretending. It hurt me more than I wanted to let on, and all I wanted to do was find Kurt and leave. But, he kept talking, and the next words out of his mouth wounded me further.

_"Plus, Kyle was just try'na get you to have some fun! S'no big deal! They're helping me out, since I've been telling them how frustrating it that you never let me get very far and that we haven't had sex said they could help loosen you right up." _He said this as his friends started to clap him on the back and nodded, as if agreeing with him and their tactic to help him hook-up with me.

I stood there mortified that his friends were making fun of me, and my belief that sex was special. I was staring at Brody, tears in my eyes and my mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say. It didn't matter, though, because Kurt swooped in at that moment, and screamed some expletives that I couldn't really hear in my daze. I didn't even know where or when he came back over, but I was so grateful for him in that moment. He then grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him, squeezing my hand in reassurance, and whipped his cell phone out.

"_Meet me at home as soon as you can",_ he said into the phone and then ended the call. He sounded pissed, but all I could think about was what Brody said, and then I could't stop crying, thinking that some of that stuff might me right.

* * *

**Kurt:**

As soon as we got back to the apartment, I carefully put Rachel in a huge t-shirt (which happened to be Finn's), and put her into bed. I sat on the couch then, waiting for Santana to get home. It was one in the morning, but she wasn't supposed to get off work until one thirty. When she moved in, Santana decided to get a job as a waitress at Callbacks three nights a week to make money while she figured out what she wanted to do. The sound of the front door alerted me to Santana's arrival. She looked her usual sexy self in a tight, long sleeved black V-neck, tight red skirt, and black heels. She always said looking super sexy got the big tips, and I believed her based on the amount of money she always came home with. She sat down on the couch and looked at me annoyed, waiting for me to tell her why I made her leave work thirty minutes early.

_"Brody's an asshole"_ I muttered angrily, thinking back on how he and his friends teased and treated Rachel.

Santana just looked at me, like that was nothing new, and just said, "_what happened?"_

I relayed the story to her, and she looked more pissed than me, and I had actually been there. I told her about how Rachel was sobbing on our cab ride back home. About how I tried to comfort her, but I just couldn't get her tears to stop. She looked so hopeless-shattered-and I had no clue how to fix her. I finally decided it was best to let her cry herself to sleep, because she looked exhausted.

Once I was done describing the night's events, Santana began to cuss in Spanish, until she finally stopped to speak in English. "_Fuck! That douche is really screwing with Rachel! I love her, but she is so damn naïve and has no clue he is playing her! He just wanted a good lay and Rachel fits the bill. Young, innocent, clueless, and a rocking body. He probably thought he hit the jackpot, until he actually go to know her, and realized she wasn't going to sleep with just anybody. And his friends!? Berry said NO! I'ma go all Lima Heights if I ever see him or any of his little—"_

_"Santana! Stop! I know how mad you are. Believe me, I know! But hurting him won't help the situation. She's broken right now. Like really, truly broken. I think everything from the last six months has just come tumbling out, and she is finally feeling all of the pain. This is the first time I've seen her really cry, not just tear up, in three months! You know Rachel. She needs to cry. She always cries. And the fact that she hasn't really cried since Finn means the floodgates have opened and now she just can't stop! All the hurt has piled up, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. I just don't know what to do". _I felt helpless, and at this moment, I was so glad Santana surprised us and moved in, because I needed someone to vent to and help with Rachel.

_"Ok, Ok. I get it. I wont beat up Brody when I see him…I'll just bitch slap him so hard, he won't be able to see straight, ok?_

_"Yeah, that perfectly fine with me_", I said with a slight smile—the first since coming home tonight_._

_"Anyways", _she said_, "what do you think we should do? I mean, you're much better with the supportive, mushy stuff. I'm more of the slap-some-sense-into-Berry kind of girl, and I know that's not appropriate in this instance."_

_"I'm not quite sure. I guess we just have to be there for her and hope she can see that we love her, you know? That she has true friends that will never leave her, and that we love her no matter what."_

_"Well, it's a good thing we're going back to Ohio and spending three whole days with our friends, then, huh?_

_"Yeah, this wedding couldn't come at a better time" _I exhaled slowly, finally feeling like we could get her through this bump with the help of our friends.

_"And you're right, Lady Hummel. I might not show it the traditional way, but I love Rachel Berry. She can be annoying and difficult, but she's ours, you know_?, she said with a slight smile.

_"I know", _he replied with the same smile. Rachel could be a handful, but she also really loved her friends and felt every emotion so powerfully. Usually, she was so happy and full of life, but right now, she was depressed and that was scary.

Right as I thought that, crying could be heard from her room. It was much louder than before, and it made me worry. We rushed to her room and saw her sitting against her bed shaking and bawling her eyes out, and it broke my heart to see my best friend like this. I glanced over at Santana and saw that she was reacting to Rachel in nearly the same was as me. Rachel sat completely shattered on the floor, and barely recognized our arrival. I didn't that know it was possible to cry that much, or to have that many tears, but if anyone was capable of proving me wrong, it was Rachel Barbara Berry. I just wished she didn't have to prove me wrong on this particular point…overachieving drama queen. Normally, I would say that out loud, and we would laugh about it, but right now, I didn't think laughing was in the cards.

I bent down and held her face in my hands, trying to calm her down and get her to tell me what had brought on this new wave of hysterics. However, I didn't need her to tell me once I saw Santana's face while she looked at Rachel's phone.

"Brody called her…and he left a voicemail", Santana said, as she held the phone up to her ear to listen. I saw her face and body contort into one of pure hatred, and I knew whatever he'd said in that message was awful. She silently passed me the phone, and then took my place comforting Rachel, so I could hear it for myself. We didn't need to put it on speaker and have her hear it again. I think even once was too much for her. Santana pulled her tiny, crumbled body onto the bed and lay with her while stroking her back. I had never seen Santana perform such reassuring and gentle gestures in my life, and I stood awestruck while placing the phone to my ear. I needed to know what caused all this seemingly crazy behavior. One roommate was hyperventilating she was crying so hard, while the other was acting like a big cuddly bear, instead of her usual snarky and sarcastic self.

"_Rachel!" it started, with a whiny and totally smashed Brody._

_"I'm soooo sorry baby! I really like you, and I-". _Brody's voice was abruptly cut off, and all I could hear was some rustling and the base of the music from the club. I hear Brody laugh and shout, "_quit it!", while laughing at whatever his friends were doing with his phone. _

However, this playful banter was quickly replaced with a loud, familiar voice yelling, "_You BITCH! You fuckin' Bitch!" _I flinched at the words, but kept listening to Kyle talk.

_"I didn't want you any ways!"_, his tone coming off harsh and livid._ "Your nose is huge and gross, you have absolutely no boobs, and you won't put out for my man, Brody! I mean, seriously. Did you ever really think you could become anything in this business?" _He begins to laugh, but keeps talking.

"_Even if you weren't a little prude and slept with every casting agent in the city, you'd never get a part. You're ugly! They would be sick and embarrassed that they stooped that low to get a little -" _At this point, I didn't think I could hear anymore without throwing up from pure, unadulterated rage. How could he say those things, and how could Brody stand by and let him? It seemed like Brody had been talking to them a lot about Rachel, telling them stuff that was supposed to be private. It was as if Brody had told him exactly how to hurt Rachel, and Kyle seemed to be enjoying it a great deal.

_"I can't believe I tried to get with you! I figured that you're a tight little girl, and it would be fun to screw you, but…-"._

Then, all of a sudden, the message ended, and all I heard was silence. I looked over at Rachel's bed, and saw Santana curled around Rachel while she slept. Rachel's face was red, blotchy, and puffy, but at least she was asleep. Santana got up slowly, not wanting to wake Rachel, and motioned for me to follow her out the door. Once we got to the kitchen, we just stood there and stared at each other. We didn't know what to say, so silence seemed the like the best, and only, option.

After five minutes of standing like that, Santana started to walk towards her bed to go to sleep, but before she got there, she turned around and muttered lividly, "You can't stop me..._ I'm going ALL Lima Heights on that mother fucker and his friends"_ And all I could think was, "Man, I hope so." I had no intention of stopping her.

I knew it wasn't completely Brody's fault, but he played a huge part. He was the one that begged her to come meet his "awesome, wonderful, super nice bros", even though Rachel was apprehensive. He was the one who left her alone with his creepy and rude friends, and ignored her all night. Then, he was the one who said those hurtful things about no one really loving her. He had the audacity to call her (still drunk, I might add!), and allowed his friend to say nasty things to the woman who was supposed to be his girlfriend. If those are his friends, then I'm not sure we've seen the real Brody yet. No good guy would put up with guys like that.

I mean, even though some would say that Finn does, with Puck and all, Puck isn't really a bad guy. Sure he's a player, but the girls he's with know what they are getting into before they sleep with him. Plus, he would NEVER say anything cruel, like Kyle. If Puck was anything like those scumbags, Finn, and all of us glee clubbers, would have unfriended him a long time ago. He might try to be a badass, but really, he cares about people, especially his friends. I know I shouldn't be comparing Brody with Finn, but it's too hard not to. Thinking of Finn, I know he would know what to do in this situation. He would know just how to comfort Rachel, and make her feel loved. Because really, who am I kidding, Rachel only wants to be loved by one man, and that man is not Brody Weston. Gosh I miss Finn! Those two need each other, because no one else quite knows how to deal with them besides the other. This weekend could not come soon enough…

Brody was right about one thing, though…she is really self-conscious and insecure. Not only about her body, but also with the fact that people always left her. She went through most of her life friendless and was made fun of until glee club. Yes, I was tormented in high school, but I had friends. I had Tina and Mercedes, and at least the rest of the club accepted me. When we first started glee club, we were all outcasts and knew what it felt like, to be bullied; yet we still rejected her. She had built up this wall to try and protect herself from hurt, and it pushed people away. But once she met Finn, she realized that she could open up and make friends without getting hurt. Well, she might get hurt, but at least she could be herself and have friends who would be there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. And this, this was definitely a time where she needed her friends. So I came up with a plan. This weekend would be a time for relaxing, unwinding, and having fun. We were going to remind Rachel Berry that she was loved.

I walked over to my bedroom to get ready for bed, and then slid into beside Rachel in her's. I knew she couldn't be alone tonight. Not after all of the fears and anxieties that she had been struggling with since childhood were just thrown in her face and brought to the surface again. People she loved always left her, or that's what she thought. I was going to prove her wrong. I loved her and I wasn't going anywhere, and neither was the glee club.


	2. No Matter What They Say

**Usually, I won't be updating this quickly, but I had another chapter finished and figured people might like to see what Finn was thinking. I wrote some of the story before 4X13, so bare with me if it doesn't follow the exact story lines. It will be deviating soon...It's just the beginning of a multi-chapter story, so be patient. Finchel interaction is coming. **

**All the chapter titles are lyrics from songs performed on the show. The first chapter was named after lyrics in "On My Own" from Les Miserables. This chapter is named after "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. **

**I do not own Glee or any of the songs in the story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Rachel:**

I walked into the apartment, breathing loudly after a hard run. Kurt was pacing in the living room, and Santana was making coffee. He whipped his head in my direction as soon as I stepped foot in the apartment.

_ "Rachel! Thank God! I was so worried that…well I was just worried,"_ He said, breathing out a deep sigh in relief. He looked me over to make sure I was ok, and seemed satisfied, because he then led me to the kitchen table.

_"I…I'm ok, Kurt"_ I said, trying not to let him hear my voice break. I was not going to cry right now.

_"No, you're not"_ he said, knowing me too well for me to hide my feelings from him.

Santana came over then, and sat some coffee down in front of me. I gave her a small smile in thanks, and she returned it. It was in my gold star mug, and it was so sweet that she was trying to cheer me up by using my favorite coffee cup. Kurt sat down on one side of me, and Santana sat down on the other. It felt like an intervention or something, and I guess, in some ways, it was. Last night sucked.

"_Rachel Barbara Berry" _Kurt said, looked straight into my eyes_," you are my best friend in the entire world. I love you, and I know that after last night, you're doubting yourself. But please, Rachel"_ he begged, _"never doubt yourself! You're so beautiful and talented. Your talent will blow people away! You can't let some stupid slime bag get in your head."_

Santana spoke up now, holding my shoulders in place, and making me look directly into her serious eyes.

"_You won the Winter Showcase! You're Rachel freak'in Berry! You can do anything you set your mind to. Brody was a drunken asshole last night, and his friends were pigs! You are way better off without him, and he is NOT welcome in this apartment anymore, so you never have to worry about hms again. Just forget about him, because is not worth your tears."_

At that moment, I looked around the apartment and realized that all of his stuff was gone. His shoes, clothes, homework assignment, everything of his that had been scattered about the apartment, was gone.

_ "Umm, guys…where's all of his stuff?",_ I asked apprehensively, kind of trying to change subjects. Plus, I was a little worried about what they did with it, but mostly upset that they may have burned it without waiting for me first.

"_Oh, yeah. We threw it down the trash shoot!"_ Santana said, smiling wickedly.

_"Kurt made me save the expensive or really important shit, though. I guess it's good, cause now, we wont get in trouble or anything with the cops for stealing his valuables."_ Santana said all of this so seriously and matter-of-factly that I couldn't help but laugh. Once I started, I could stop, and then, both of them joined it_._ However, soon, my laughter turned to a steady flow of tears, and I was sobbing once again. I didn't want to cry; by apparently my tear ducts had other ideas.

They both stood up and pulled me into a hug, and we stood in the middle of our kitchen, in a group hug, for a long time. Finally, when I had better control over my tears, and myself, I pulled back from their embrace and mumbled through my tears.

_"Thank you guys so much. You have no idea what you two mean to me, so thanks."_

Kurt wiped some stray tears from my cheeks and took my hand, leading me to my room. Santana grabbed by other hand and excitedly said, "_No problem, Berry. And, hey! Now, we get to go back to Lima and have fun and let loose with all of our friends!_"

Kurt and I laughed, but that really did sound great. I just needed to get away and relax with some true friends. When we got to my room, my suitcase was on my bed completely pack and ready to go.

"_Guys?"_ I asked, as I turned around and looked confusedly at my two roommates. They just had evil grins covering their faces, which made me nervous.

_"Don't worry, Sweetie, we already packed for you. All you need to do is shower and put these clothes on and we will be off!" _he said this, as he held up a pair of black leggings, oversized grey cardigan, and my favorite black was stylish (I mean, Kurt had picked it out), yet completely appropriate and comfy for a day of travel.

"_Thank God_", I thought. At least I'll be comfortable. You never really know with Kurt. I couldn't have been forced to wear a ball gown on the plane! I'm a little nervous about what he and Santana had packed for me for the trip, but I was way too exhausted to care. At least I know I will be stylish.

**Finn:**

I lie in my bed, looking at my cell phone and time it displayed. 9:00 AM. I groaned a little to myself for waking up so early. I just couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I would be seeing Rachel in less than 10 hours. I began to think back on our last days together. Lying in my bed—this very bed—making out, fooling around, or simply talking, before my mom or Burt came home from work. Singing to each other in glee club like no one else was in the room, and pouring all of our love into the songs. And the train…O God the train. Why did I do that? Why couldn't I have just gone with her?

I think that's what broke us. It wasn't her kiss with Brody, but rather, me leaving her like that. I knew I didn't belong in the army. A soldier needs to want to be there, and I did not want to be there. I guess shooting myself in the foot was karma.

_"Damn! Karma's a bitch, cause that hurt like hell!"_ I thought bitterly, absentmindedly feeling my foot.

I dealt with the whole situation so badly. Not talking to her for four moths…I know that was bad, but I was so embarrassed. I thought by the time I trekked across country to New York, I would have had an idea as to what I wanted to do with my future. Unfortunately, I didn't, and I still had no clue.

But, when I saw her that day in New York, I thought everything was going to be fine. That everything we went through that summer was over, and we could be happy again. Then I found out about the kiss, and was so sad and upset that I couldn't see clearly. Why did she have to kiss him? Did she like him? Did she love him? Was she over me that quickly? I know it was just a kiss, but still, kisses mean something. These were the questions that are constantly running through my mind. If she really loved me, couldn't she have waited? How could she move on that fast? I'm still not over her, and I don't think I ever can.

Walking away without warning was totally childish of me, but I couldn't handle it any more. She was living a great life, and I was going to get in the way. She gave the impression that she didn't exactly miss me from her life.

She was getting on perfectly fine without me, and she seemed like she'd be fine if she never saw me again. It broke my heart, and I couldn't watch her fall out of love with me. It would kill me.

So I left. And when she came and found me, I was done fighting for her, because I knew in my heart I was going to lose her eventually. Why not cut the cord now, right? Well, that was what the no contact rule was for, anyways. I couldn't see her or hear her voice because I knew I would go running after her, and I needed to protect myself from the rejection. I had to at least try to move on with my life, but I knew if the door was open, neither of us would ever be able to move on with our lives. She had to move on with her life. She was going to be a star, and I was not getting in the way of what she was born to do.

But now, here I am. The time has come, and we are going to see each other again for the first time in what feels like forever. It had to come eventually. I've never gone this long without seeing or speaking to her, and it's been torture. I try to get little bits of information from Kurt, but all I hear is she is really busy, but doing fine. Brody moved in…I can't believe he is living in the apartment that I was supposed to be sharing with Rachel and Kurt. Even Santana is in New York with them, and I'm still here, like I never left high school, which was completely true!

I was still going to McKinley High almost every day. It was a little awkward now, since I kissed Miss. Pillsbury and all, but it was totally by accident—I was just trying to calm her down—and we both knew that. Still, how mortifying is it that I kissed my old teacher and the bride-to-be when I was the best man? Plus, to make matters worse, I am living in Lima in my mom's house. Could I be any more of a Lima Loser? Hopefully, thought, I won't be for much longer, but I don't want to get my hopes up…

At least while we've had this no contact rule in place, she couldn't see me dying and depressed without her. Now, she will be able to see my pain loud and clear. We've always been good at knowing what the other was thinking or feeling, so there is no hiding it. That doesn't mean I won't desperately try, because I don't want to be the sulking ex-boyfriend while she has moved on to a more attractive, accomplished man. Nothing could be more pathetic or embarrassing.

I wonder if we will still share this gift or innately knowing the other, or, if all the special things we used to share so deeply are gone. I wonder if she's different, if New York changed her. I know she dressed differently when I saw her last; her hair and make-up were a little different, but she was still Rachel. She was her usual driven, cute, and excited self. She simply looked more confident and mature, as if she were actually a college-aged _woman_. She looked great. Like really beautiful and perfect and…. O, shit! This weekend was going to be the death of me.

I forced myself to get up and get ready for the day. I still had to pack and get everything organized before driving an hour north to Toledo, where the wedding was taking place.

**Rachel:**

We arrived in Toledo, Ohio at around 3:30. As we waited for our luggage at baggage claim, I couldn't help but feel nervous and anxious. I was going to see everyone today. Everyone! That meant Finn, who I hadn't talked to since I called him briefly in early December (which was totally against the no contact rule). And even then, we didn't say much. Whenever Kurt was talking to him on the phone, I hurried out of the room because I felt like I was eavesdropping. Isn't that crazy? My best friend was talking to his brother and my ex-fiancé, and I felt like I was intruding my being in the same room? I didn't want to know if he moved on, because I knew I would be devastated and I had absolutely no right to be.

Kurt must have noticed my mood shift, because he came over and squeezed my hand in his.

_"It will be fine. Just relax and let's enjoy our long weekend here, Ok? I know you're thinking about seeing him, but you need to stop. We can do this together, because Santana and I know exactly how you're feeling, remember? We will just stick together and try our best to act normal and amicable towards the exes"._

_"I know, you're right. We have to stop thinking about avoiding them, because we know we can't. We should treat this as a mini vacation. I saw that they have a spa!"_ I said, actually getting more excited as I thought of all the positives of this trip.

So what, Finn, Blaine, and Brittany would be there? All of our other friends would be with us as well, so we can use them as buffers. I mean, they all knew what went down between us, so I'm sure they will help make it as least awkward and uncomfortable as possible. They weren't cruel, were they?

The cab ride to the hotel was quiet and short. I knew we were all still preoccupied with thoughts of our exes, but it wasn't healthy. It was making us even more anxious and jittery than before, so as I looked out the window, I was thankful we had reached our destination.

We pulled up to the Belamere Suites Hotel, and it was surprisingly lovely. I had never been to such a luxurious and secluded hotel in Ohio before, and my nerves were quickly replaced by excitement. This weekend could truly be a vacation from the fast paced life we were all living in New York. Don't get me wrong, I love New York, but sometimes you need to escape your everyday life. The Belamere Suites appeared to be just the place to lose ourselves for the long weekend and reunite with our best friends.

Went entered the lobby and went straight to the front desk to check-in. We were all exhausted from lack of sleep and travel, and wanted to get to our room and take a nap before dinner.

"_Welcome!"_ the lady at the check-in desk said happily. _"What can I help you three with this afternoon?"_

_"We're here for the Schuester/ Pillsbury wedding, and we wanted to check into our rooms. We were told that they would be reserved?"_ Kurt replied politely, as he was more awake than either Santana or me.

"_Ahh yes! Names please."_

_"Hummel, Berry, and Lopez"_

_"Ok, let's see here…so it says here that Mr. Hummel and Miss. Berry are sharing a room, and that Miss. Lopez is staying with a Miss. Fabray. Is that correct?"_

_"Yep. Sounds right."_ I said, really trying to remain happy and energetic, but sleep was clouding my brain. I was silently yelling at her to type faster and give us our keys already.

_"Ok_", she said, smiling strangely at Kurt and I.

_"Here are your keys. You two are in room 313. I hope you enjoy you're stay with us_", and then she did something that really shocking. She winked at us. I was confused for about a second until I realized that she thought Kurt was my boyfriend, and she definitely thought we were getting it on this weekend. I stole a glance at Kurt, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat, and decided to play along. I hadn't had fun in a while, and I thought this was the perfect way to start a weekend of fun.

I nodded emphatically and touched Kurt's chest sensuously as I said, _"O, believe me, we will! Thank you!_" And as we walked away, I decided to pinch Kurt butt at the last second. I turned back and saw that her eyes were bulging out of the sockets in surprise.

I could barely contain my laughter after seeing her reaction, so I had to pull Kurt away before I blew our cover. Once we got to the elevator, we burst out laughing. We were both laughing so hard; we had tears streaming down our eyes. It felt so good to cry happy tears, rather than devastated ones. Santana turned the corner, then, and was smirking as she approached us, shaking her head and pointing her finger at me.

"You naughty girl! I can't believe I just witnessed our innocent Rachel Berry suggest sexual relations in public and pull it off…. I loved it!" She proceeded to high five me and slap my own butt, which only made us crack-up even more.

I was holding my stomach and laughing while we stepped into the elevator. Just as the elevator was about to close, I thought I saw a tall man, with short brown hair looking our way, but the doors closed a second later. I shook my head because there billions of guys that fit that description.

We waved goodbye at Santana and told her we meet her at dinner later. Even though we had just been in hysterics second before, I knew I was tired, and needed a nap. When we entered our room, we saw a king sized bed in the middle of the room, a large chair, flat screen TV, and a big bathroom with a soaking tub. I was definitely going to have to use that later.

Apparently, all of the rooms that were placed on reserved for the wedding were standard, which meant a king bed. Neither of us minded, though, since we share a bed all the time anyways. I set my phone alarm for five forty-five, so we would have a good two-hour nap, and still have enough time to get ready for dinner by 7. We both collapsed on top of the bed and fell asleep almost immediately, not bothering to change or even get under the comforter. As I fell into deep slumber, I dreamed of a tall man, with a crooked, dimpled smile and freckles…


	3. Go Ahead and Smile

**Again, I won't normally update so soon, but i wanted to get some of it published before "I Do". Thanks for reading! **

**Sorry for and and all mistakes! I do not own Glee, nor do I own "Smile" by Lily Allen, which this chapter is named after.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Finn:**

"Hey! Dude! What're staring at? You look like you just saw a ghost, or a chick with a wicked rack! Oh please let it be a chick with huge boobs," Puck prayed as he looked at me and the direction of my stare.

"N..Nothing. It wasn't either of those things…I just thought about anything thing I had to do for the wedding, and kind of got freaked out." I tried to save myself. I was not about to tell Puck that I felt like I'd seen a ghost, because I had just seen Rachel, and I think my heart stopped for a second or two.

She was running and holding hands with Kurt, dying of laughter. I was instantly jealous of my stepbrother, because that was my favorite sound in the world and he got to share it with her. I saw Santana strut over to them and wiggle her finger at Rachel like she'd done something wrong. I didn't catch most of what she said, except for "sexual relations" and "I loved it". Now I really wanted to know what they were laughing about so passionately, because it was clearly hilarious if Santana was in on the joke as well.

They stepped onto the elevator and I took a step forward, instinctively towards Rachel. I couldn't help myself. She looked so happy, carefree, and gorgeous, that my legs just carried me to her. But it was too late. The door shut and they were gone. I'd have to wait until dinner and try to somehow yet it out of them.

I was reminded that I was still with Puck when he mentioned something about the best man really being the groom's slave or something.

"I mean really, your nothing more than Mr. Schue's bitch. I'd hate to be the best man. The only good thing that comes with it is that you get to plan a crazy bachelorette party, and you aren't even allowed to do it. I say we throw our own little party tonight, without the watchful eyes of our ex-teachers. What'da say, Hudson?"

"Sure, sounds great!" I said distractedly. I really did have some things to get done for the wedding before I could unwind with my friends for dinner. "You take care of that, and I'll finish my best man duties, ok? See you at dinner, man."

With that, I went off to my room and tried to focus on writing my speech. I wanted to get it done sooner, rather than later. Maybe have someone check it over and make sure it didn't sound stupid or anything. I wasn't the best at writing, but I had an idea of what I wanted to say. Was it wrong that I pictured Rachel when I thought about my speech? Probably, but she had always been my best muse, so I went with it.

Forty minutes later, I had a speech written on the hotel notepad. I felt pretty confident about it, but I still wanted someone to look over it, just to make sure it was good enough. Maybe Kurt could take a look, or even Quinn. They were both usually honest and thoughtful, and wouldn't make fun of it being too mushy. I was definitely not letting Puck see this paper. He would make fun of me till the end of time, and even though I wasn't ashamed of what I wrote, I needed constructive criticism, not howling laughter and crude jokes.

I wished I could show it to a one tiny person in particular, but I knew that would be too insensitive. These words would be like a punch to her gut considering they easily could have been the ones I uttered to her at our wedding eight months ago. So, the one person that I really wanted to look it over couldn't because I did not want to hurt her. She was so happy earlier, and I did not want to keep wounding her. I think I've done enough damage. Plus, it would be too weird since I'm not sure if we are really friends anymore. I wish we could be friends, but I don't think I can be _just_ friends with Rachel Berry.

* * *

**Rachel:**

"I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want

So tell me what you want, what you really, really want

I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha)

I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah…"

I awoke, startled, to my Spice Girls alarm blasting in my ear. I felt a pillow whack me in the head, and saw an angry Kurt shooting daggers at me.

"Rachel! God! Did you really have to put it on that loud? As much as I love me some Spice Girls, I'm sure we would have waken up just fine without the volume as loud as it goes"

"Sorry…" I said sheepishly, because he was totally right. I didn't need to put it that loud, I was just paranoid that we would sleep straight through dinner, and I did not want to miss dinner. I wanted to get the awkward first encounter over with tonight, so I could enjoy the rest of the weekend.

I crawled out of bed, and wondered to the bathroom, taking my toiletries with me. I shut the door, and debated with myself if I should take a bath now or later. I decided that I did have quite enough time now, and it would be more relaxing if I weren't in a hurry. Taking out my favorite shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, I turned the hot water on and carefully got in the shower humming to myself.

My humming turned into singing, like it normally did, and by the time I was washing my body, I was belting "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCartney. I have no clue where the heck that song came from, but it was a pretty good shower song, so I went with until I heard Kurt banging on the door telling me to hurry up.

"If you don't stop singing and start rinsing, I'm going to come in there and drag you out! I have to shower too!" He sounded like he was only half joking, so I stopped singing and did as he said. I did not want a cranky Kurt because I needed his help to get ready, not to mention him and Santana were my allies in this unknown territory we were about to step into. As much as I knew our friends loved us, all three of our exes had been a lot closer with the rest of the glee club in the last six months. We needed to stick together just in case they felt more loyal to them.

I opened the bathroom door in the big, white hotel bathrobe, and hurriedly, Kurt scurried in to begin his own shower ritual. I saw that it was six o'clock and figured I would finally take a look at what Kurt and Santana deemed necessary for the trip. I slowly unzipped by pink suitcase and began to sort through the neatly packed articles of clothing and pairs of shoes.

Most of the dresses, skirts, and tops were things I would have packed myself, but occasionally I came across items I'm pretty sure they had bought me without my knowledge. The first of these items was I a pair of red skinny jeans. At first, I was convinced they were Santana's, and they accidentally got in my luggage, but I checked the size, and surely enough, they were mine. The next article of clothing that shocked me was a foreign royal blue dress, which I actually really liked. I set it aside as a possibility for tonight, and continued to unpack.

By the time I was unpacked, Kurt was done showering and came into the room.

"_Find anything you like?" _he said smiling.

I laughed a little at his question. "S_urprisingly, I actually love everything you packed. Thanks!_ _Although,"_ I said, picking up a pair of five inch heels,_ "I saw that you two didn't pack me any comfy shoes. You do realize my feet are going to be killing by the end of the weekend, right?"._ I wasn't really mad, though, because I knew I would be wearing mostly fancy outfits were the wedding activities, but I was definitely not looking forward to my feet aching.

"_Sorry, Babe. Fashion is pain._" he said smiling, totally not sorry at all, and began walking over to where I had two outfit options. He pointed to the new blue dress and said, _"Wear that one. You will look fabulous in it!"_

_"Ok! Its decided then!" _I said, clapping my hands together. I looked over at my other option before putting it away. I would have gotten warm in the black sweater dress and tights. Plus, I figured the color would be more fun, since tonight was bound to get a little crazy if Puck had a say. I certainly didn't pick the blue dress because blue was Finn's favorite color…it was merely a coincidence.

Once dressing, I went into the bathroom and dried and styled my hair. I decided that I would straighten it and it fell a little past my breast, and parted it on the side so my bangs swooped across my forehead. Next, I applied some subtle golden eyeliner, black mascara, and coral lip-gloss to finish off my look. I walked back into the bedroom to see Kurt staring at me, not saying a word.

"_Uh Kurt? Do I look ok? I mean, I know it's a little tight and I tried this new eyeliner, but if it looks hideous I-"_

"_Stop!"_ He interrupted_ "Just stop tearing yourself down! You look amazing, Rachel! I'm just shocked that you did that all by yourself, to be honest. That is precisely how I would have styled that outfit for you."_

"Oh! _Thanks! I think…"_ I laughed a bit, because he really did seem stunned that I had managed to do my own hair and make-up. _"I'm just glad it looks alright,"_ I muttered as I ducked my head, a little embarrassed, and went to get my heels.

"_Here_" Kurt said, handing me black pumps and a black sparkly clutch that would go perfectly with the dress.

When I was completely dressed for the evening, I turned to see what Kurt was wearing. He had black skinny jeans, a red button-down shirt tucked in, and his signature coiffed hair.

"_You look great, Kurt!" _I cheered. "_Blaine won't be able to stop looking at you."_ Because, let's be real, we all wanted to look good for our respective exes.

"_Thanks, Rachel, but I honestly think everyone will be looking at you all night."_ I gave him an incredulous look, as if to say, "yeah, right", so he spun me around so I was looking at my reflection in the full-length mirror.

My make-up complemented my olive skin and dark features, my hair was super shiny and framed my face, and the dress fit perfectly. It was about four inches above my knee, with a high neckline, and hugged what little curves I had.

He turned me around again, so I was facing him and looked over my outfit again. "_You look absolutely amazing! I'm just excited to see everyone's reactions!_

I looked at him a little alarmed. "_It is too much? Too 'un-Rachel Berry-like'? I know some people think I've been dressing too different from how I used to. I don't want everyone thinking that I'm a completely changed woman…"_ I was getting nervous that it was too unlike the Rachel they all knew. I was especially thinking of Finn's reaction. Even though we weren't together anymore, I didn't want him to think I wasn't me anymore—the girl he fell in love with.

Kurt shook his head and frowned as he asked, "_Do you like it? Because that's all that matters. You're in college now, you're the not same Rachel that left Lima in the summer, but how can anyone expect you to be? You're still you in all the important aspects. So what you're not wearing reindeer sweaters and knee socks? They couldn't expect you to wear those forever. As you evolve, so does your style."_

I thought about what Kurt said, and he was right. I know I dress differently, and at first it was to fit in, but now, I simply wear what I want. I felt older—living on my own and being in college—so I guess that reflected in my style. In high school, my dads coddled me, and therefore I dressed younger because I felt younger. The problem was, once my style was established, I felt a little stuck with it. When I arrived in New York and Kurt gave me the opportunity, I felt like I could finally wear whenever I wanted without seeming like I was rebelling. There is no 'old Rachel' or 'new Rachel'. There is simply Rachel. I'm growing up, and I'm certainly not the only graduated glee clubber who has transformed after high school.

I thought of Kurt's question again. Do I like it? "_I love it! Let's go!"_ I smiled as I intertwined my hand with Kurt's and opened the door. I was planning on having a good night, enjoying the company of my friends.

* * *

**Finn:**

Puck and I left our room at a quarter to seven, ensuring we could get a table large enough to seat thirteen. The underclassmen and newer members weren't coming down to Toledo until Saturday because their parents wouldn't let them miss school. All of the seniors had gotten permission from their parents because it wasn't as if they were missing much. They were seniors, and at this point in the year, most college applications had already been sent in, and they were just waiting to hear their futures.

I tried to push that out of mind because I'd had a bad experience and I didn't want to think about that now. Tonight, I was going to see my friends and enjoy hanging out with everyone again. It had been a long time since we were all reunited, so I was sure we would let lose and really have some fun together.

When we were seated, the waitress checked both Puck and me out, staring at me a little too long for my liking. "_Great…"_ I thought. I really wasn't interested in trying to brush her off all evening, so I looked anywhere but at her. Puck seemed to have a different idea because he was grinning at her. I knew that grin. It was his 'I'm totally hooking-up with this chick' grin.

"Good evening, -" he paused for a moment to look at her nametag "_Macy."_ She finally stopped staring at me and turned back towards him. She must have realized he was interested and I wasn't, because she pushed out her chest and smiled sensually at him. I just ignored the rest of their interaction, and began dreading the fact that I was sharing a room with the guy.

Five minutes before seven, people started to trickle down from their rooms for dinner. The first group to come down was Tina, Brittany, and Mercedes, followed closely by Blaine, Artie, Sam, and Mike. They all looked nice, and I was happy to see them, but I had seen them all recently, so I was really more interested in seeing the ones I hadn't.

Quinn and Santana came down next, and they looked really good. The east coast agreed with the both of them, and they seemed happy and ready to have fun. They sat across from me, leaving a seat open between them. I wondered why, but before I could ask, they started giggling at Puck's flirting since it was getting pretty ridiculous.

_"So, what time you getting off tonight, Sweetheart? Cause an empty room, king-sized bed, and a naked you sounds all kinds of awesome."_ He winked and I couldn't believe this girl didn't smack him. She simply took the key he very indiscreetly handed to her and smiled at him. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and chuckle under my breath.

Everyone started talking animatedly, catching up and discussing the upcoming wedding. It was nice having everyone back together again…well almost everyone. We were still waiting on Kurt and Rachel. I looked at my phone to check the time and saw it was 7:07. I figured they were running on Kurt time, because Rachel always liked to get everywhere at least ten minutes early. Just as I was thinking this, I heard a bunch of whistles and gasps. My head shot up to see what was making them go react this way, and saw that it was Rachel. Well, and Kurt too, but mostly Rachel.

"_Damn Berry! Lady Hummel and I did good packing for you!"_ Santana yelled at a glowing Rachel.

"_Yeah, hot mama! You lookin fierce!"_ quipped Mercedes, pulling both of them into a bear hug.

Everyone stood up to hug and greet the latecomers, since they were the two that had been MIA the longest. Everyone else had made it home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but those two stayed in New York.

I didn't quite know what to do, but I decided I should get up and greet Kurt, since he was my brother after all. I gave him a huge hug, and smiled when I heard him freaking out about messing up his outfit.

Once we broke apart he squealed a little. "_Finn! You look incredible! Thank God you lost the puffy vests and checkered shirts."_

"_Hey! They weren't that bad!" _I joked, and rolled my eyes at the horrified look he was giving me. They must have really been that bad with the way he was glaring at me.

I saw Rachel talking with Quinn and Santana happily, and took a moment to appreciate her beauty. Her silky brown hair had some lighter pieces on the ends and was a little shorter than the last time I saw her, coming to her breasts. Her bangs swept to the side, which I loved, since it allowed me to clearly see her rich, chocolate eyes. And her dress. O, man, her dress was stunning. It was bright blue (my favorite color), and was showing off a good amount of her killer legs. It was sleeveless, neckline came up high, and the dress hugged her body perfectly. When she turned to talk to Mike and Sam, I saw the back, and I gulped as I felt my pants tighten. Much of her back was exposed, save for the crisscrossed straps across the back. Her dress was elegant and tasteful with a perfect touch of sexiness. It was different from most of the dresses I had seen her in before, exposing a little more skin that usual, but she looked so confident and radiant, I could help but love it. But, I had to look away before I exploded in my pants…think of the mailman! Think of the mailman!

Just as I was saying this mantra in my head, Rachel looked up from her conversation and made eye contact with me. We just stood there, caught up in each other's stares for what seemed like ages, but was more likely seconds. I wouldn't have been surprised if I had a pool a drool at my feet, that's how hot our staring contest was.

I was the first to look away, as Puck whispered into my ear, "_Berry is smoking! Sorry dude."_

I almost smacked him and yelled at him for objectifying my girlfriend, but just shrugged him off and sat back down instead. Although he was spot on with that sentiment, I couldn't be looking at her like that—she had a boyfriend back in New York.

Everyone went back to their seats so we order, and I almost choked when she sat down between Quinn and Santana almost directly across from me. I'm pretty sure we were set up, but I didn't care in that moment. We both kept looking at each other, wanting to say something but not knowing how to start.

_"Hey Rach"_ I said, sounding a little nervous, but deciding that the simplest greeting would be best.

She lowered her long lashes to her cheeks for a second before looking up, directly into my eyes, and producing my favorite smile.

"_Hi Finn"._

I could help but smile in return, because her voice was like magic to my ears. When she said my name, I think I died a little inside. Memories of all the times she'd said my name came flooding back to me. Saying it a little whiny when she wanted something, yelling it when she was excited or scared, and whispering and moaning it when we had sex. My love and longing for her hit me like a ton of bricks, but I had to control myself. She was taken, now. But try telling that to my increasingly bulging member…

* * *

**Rachel:**

Wow. I was not expecting his voice and smile to affect me as much as it had. I had to look down to compose my self before speaking.

"_Hi Finn"_ I said smiling, as we continued to look into each other eyes. Conversations continued around us, but we kept stealing glances at each other. Every time I looked at him, his face was buried in the menu, and every time I was looked at the menu, I could feel his intense eyes on my face. The funny thing was, we had all already ordered, and had no need for our menus anymore, but we kept them to use as tools to hide behind and check the other out.

I tried to engage in a few conversations here and there, but he was so damn distracting! He had on dark blue jeans, a long-sleeved navy blue v-neck sweater, and the sexiest five o'clock shadow. I racked my brains, but could remember a time when Finn had ever had scruff, but let me just say, it look phenomenal. He looked so grown up and adult. No longer the baby-faced 'frankenteen' we all used to tease, but now a sexy and confident man. I was getting a little flustered just looking at him, licking his lips and grinning while listening intensely at an impression Sam was performing for that half of the table.

We all had our food at this point, but I was still too disyracted by Finn to pay attention to my vegan pasta dish. Suddenly I was so rudely yanked out of my very visual and sexual fantasy staring one Finn Hudson by a squealing Tina.

_"Oh my God! Rachel, Kurt! You have to tell us all about New York! It must be pretty great if it keeps you there for all the major holidays"_

I wanted to say a certain boy, who I was just now realizing I had never gotten over, was the reason I never came home. But I held my tongue and regretfully looked away from Finn as I started to explain about living on our own and my classes.

"_My dance professor was awful first semester, but I got through it. All of my other classes and professors are pretty amazing, though. And living in New York is incredible. There is always something to do, a show or performance to go see."_

Tina looked wistful as I explained everyday life in the city, but a quick look at Brittany next to her told me she was bored. She interrupted my as I was talking about seeing _Beauty and the Beast _on broadway, saying she had a question. She leaned in closer to me, even though she was a good five seat away. It was almost as if she were going to tell me a secret, but instead of whispering, she yelled.

_"Don't you have a new boyfriend? Lord Tubbington heard he smells like jello and chalk. If I were you, I'd go back to that really tall guy who looked like he ate you when you made out. He smelled like cookies-"_ Blaine put an end to her talking by asking her if Lord Tubbington was still struggle to kick his ecstasy habit. If we weren't all frozen in shock, we would have found that really funny. But it was not funny at all.

The table was deathly silent, as I desperately tried to control my emotions. I didn't want to think about Brody and the pain and hurt he caused me only last night. In some ways, it felt like years ago, but in others, the devastation of what he and his friends said still fresh in my mind and killing me inside. And I definitely didn't want to think about how wrong I was in breaking up with Finn.

Santana must have seen I was on the verge of tears or hysterics, because she eyed Quinn, who turned towards the rest of the table to speak, as Santana took my hand, mumbling something about needing to go to the bathroom. I caught what Quinn was saying as we walked off, and felt Finn's worried eyes following me as I left. He knew me, and he knew I was really upset. And I was betting he was pretty sad as well.

"_Kurt, you were just telling me that hilarious story when I visited two weeks ago. I bet everyone is dying to hear your crazy experiences in the fashion industry."_ Quinn was looking at Kurt pointedly, willing him to get the hint and take over the conversation. He gave her a slight nod and thin smile in understanding.

"_Ahh, yes. I've met some interesting people while working in the fashion industry. Can I just say…-"_ And Kurt was off, distracting all of our friends from the painfully awkward situation and the miserable memories Brittany's question brought back.

The bathroom was really nice and huge, with a lounge area on one side and the stalls on the other. Santana brought me over to a couch, while Quinn secured the door with the back of a chair. I hadn't even realized I was crying or shaking until Quinn pulled me into a hug and Santana gave me some tissues. I desperately tried dabbing my eyes so my makeup wouldn't run, but I gave up when I recognized my crying wasn't letting up soon.

We sat there for a good ten minuets, me an absolute sobbing mess. Every time someone tried opening the door or asked to come in, Santana would yell at them to get lost. She swore profusely at the persistent ones, which made me laugh through my tears. When it felt like I was all cried out, I pulled out of the embrace and lay my head on the back of the couch in exhaution. I had not wanted to cry tonight. I wanted to enjoy my friends' company.

_"Well that sucked_" I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Quinn laughed lightly and got up to wet a paper towel and clean off my face. I grimaced when I saw the black stains down my cheeks, but Quinn just said, "_Don't worry. I'll fix you up good as new"._

Santana came over to sit next to me then. _"I know that sucked, and everything's still fresh because it happened yesterday, but you can't let him or his friends get to you this badly. He sucks and I know for a fact that you didn't even like him that much, so pull yourself together. Promise, no more stupid tears over that son of a bitch."_

I laughed and nodded, before pulling them both in for another hug. They hesitated at first, suffering from Rachel Berry hugs to last them into next year, but finally gave in. This was so different from high school, them being my friends and helping me in a time of need. I realized in that moment that what Santana said was true. Brody was not worth these tears, because I did have friends who loved me and supported me.

Once I appeared as if I hadn't just been crying for ten minutes, we made our way out of the bathroom and back to the table. I was following the two girls when I felt a gentle hand tug on my own, I didn't need to turn around to know who it belonged to. It was Finn's huge one engulfing my small one.

I knew he could tell I'd been crying, and before I knew what was happening, I was in his arms. It felt so natural and right to be holding him so closely, I couldn't let go. He bent down and I felt his warm breath on my face as he whispered huskily.

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"Y_eah." _I answered almost silently. I wasn't sure he had actually heard me since we stood hugging for a couple second longer, but then he took my hand again and led me away...

* * *

song: "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls

The dress Rachel is wearing to dinner, only picture it in royal blue: ?BR=f21&Category=dress_club-dresses&ProductID=2021839418&VariantID=


	4. You Put the Sparks to the Flame

**I do not own Glee. Th chapter title comes from "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John**

* * *

**Finn:**

I was too distracted to look where we were going, so we ended up at the indoor pool of the hotel. We slid our shoes off and I rolled up my jeans as we put our feet into the hot tub. We were siting across from each other with our heads down towards the water, but occasionally we would look up and smile at each other.

I'd ask her if she were ok, but I know she wasn't, so it seemed like a silly question. I really wanted to know what had upset her, though.

"_Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to, but just know that you can talk to me about anything. I am officially destroying that stupid 'no contact' rule" _That earned a little smile from her. "_I know you have a new boyfriend now, but I hate seeing you so sad."_

Rachel was playing with the ends of her hair, twirling it around her finger, and looking down. She breathed out a long sigh, but then looked up, ready to talk.

"_I…um…" _ she didn't really seem to know what to say, but I kept looking at her reassuringly. "_I'm not really with Brody anymore…something happened last night…" _

I just stared at her, not sure if I should be jumping for joy at her being single, or scared and pissed because obviously Brody did something that seriously hurt Rachel only last night. That must have been why she looked so upset at the table when Brittany brought him up.

I spoke quietly and as calmly as I could, "_What happened?"_

Again, she looked away and started to play with her hair, which was so distracting because all I wanted to do was run my fingers threw her soft hair. But, I needed to know what happened. I was starting to think the worst, and that was not going to help anything.

"_He invited Kurt and I to a club to meet his friends, but then he left me alone with one of his friends. Kurt went to get a drink, so it was just me and his friends…he started to flirt with me and stroke my arm, so I got up to find Kurt…"_

She told me the whole story, and by the end, I was fuming. I couldn't believe Brody and his friends, and I was having trouble thinking straight. I kept thinking of everything that could have happened to her. She's so tiny, I'm scared to think what could have happened if Brody's friend hadn't gotten interrupted. I know I shouldn't be mad at Kurt, since he was there to take care of her and I wasn't, but why the heck did he leave her alone? I know she is feisty, but really, she is nothing compared to a grown man. And then the phone call! I cannot understand someone who says horrible things with the intension to not only hurt, but to shattered them. And i knew thats what Kyle's words did to her. It degusts me.

I could tell she was desperately trying not to cry, so I silently walked over to her and pulled her into my side. I just held her as close as I could, burying my head in her hair and taking in her amazing smell.

_"Rach, you're the most talented, gorgeous, loving person I have ever met. I hate that anyone would make you doubt yourself, but they are just jerks and trying to hurt you because you wouldn't do what they wanted."_ She was looking at me now, our bodies still pressed together.

"_Thanks"_

Again, we sat in silence, but it wasn't awkward or anything. It gave us time to think and recover. After a while, I knew we were both ready to move on, so I tried to lighten the mood.

I grinned at her and stood up, while pulling on the hem of my sweater. _"So, should we get in? I mean, the water is totally calling our names." _

She giggled a little, standing up too, but pulling my hands from sweater to stop me. "_But we don't have our bathing suits, Finn!"_

_"It'll be fine! We'll just strip down to our underwear, and it'll be just like we are in our bathing suits. No big deal."_

Her face turned a slight shade of pink, and I knew I had said something wrong. "_I, uh, I mean, we don't have to. We can just sit here some more and talk. Or not." _I was rambling, but I felt so embarrassed that I even suggested doing that. I was so stupid sometimes.

"_No. It's not that I don't want to go swimming with you. I would, but I'm kind of not wearing anything under my dress…"_ While she said this, she motioned to her tight, backless dress, and i understood completely. She couldn't have worn anything, or it would have been visible.

_"Oh." _ It was all I could muster. My eyes roamed over her body, and I could not take my eyes off of her. We were standing about a foot apart, and we were both clearly turned on. Her eyes were getting darker, full of lust, and her nipples hardened under my gaze. I'm sure my eyes were just as dark, and I knew my erection was visible. It don't remember ever being this hard, and I almost keeled over it was so painful. We both leaned in a bit, eyes still firmly attached. I thought we were about to kiss when I heard some banging on the glass window. It was older man wearing a security uniform, and he did not look happy.

_"You two cannot do that here. This is a public pool, and it's after hours._" he said this in a firm voice while pointing to a sign on the wall telling us the pool closed at 9 pm. I looked over to the clock on the wall and saw that it was 9:12 pm. Wow, thanks dude. Way to be a total cock blocker because we were 12 minutes past the time it closed. Rachel stepped back first and started to apologize, while I grabbed our shoes.

We walked back to the restaurant in silence. I wasn't really sure if all our friends would still be there, but I figured we would check. They were, but they looked like they were getting up to leave.

"_Hey! There you two are! You missed dessert and the bill."_ I knew Kurt was kidding by the grin he was giving the both us, clearly checking out out expressions and outfits to see if we had been fooling around. Unfortunately, we got interupted, but who knows what would have happened.

"_Sorry! I'll pay you back later! Is everyone going to bed?_" Rachel asked, and I could tell she wanted to stay up and visit more.

"_Yeah_" Blaine said. "_Everyone's tired, and we figured that we would have plenty of time for fun tomorrow night and Saturday night."_

_"I guess, but we better have a lot of fun then!"_ She said as she hugged everyone goodbye for the night.

_"Come on Rachel. Time for my beauty sleep! I did not get nearly enough last night!_" I saw her grimace a little, and Kurt squeezed her arm knowing that is was too soon to joke about the previous night.

I watched her walk away with Kurt and Mercedes, and I was so tempted to run over to her, sweep her off her feet, and give her the most passionate, loving kiss in the history of the world. more romantic than our nationals kiss! But I didn't. I turned around, grabbed my jacket, and started walking slowly towards my room. I was walking down the hall to my room when I came across a room with a tie on the door. Seriously? Who puts a tie on the door…

Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Damn you Puck and your lack of self control! Could he not go one night with out sex?! I was pissed at him, but I didn't dare go in because I knew it was too late. Once he started, there was stopping him, and I really did not need to see that. Again. I've already walked in on him having sex enough times to last me a lifetime. Once you see that, it can't be unseen.

I slouched down on the ground next to the door, not really knowing what else to do. I didn't want to sleep on the floor, but every other room was full. I figured I would sit down and wait. Maybe she wasn't a fan of cuddling and would leave as soon as they were finished. A guy could only hope. I was so killing Puck in the morning.

* * *

**Rachel:**

I was walking back to my room from Mercedes' room. Kurt was going to stay there tonight and catch up with her since we had an odd number of people, and therefore, didn't have a roommate. Although I wanted to catch up with her some more, I was actually a lot more tired than I thought I was. I was excited to get back to my room, take a hot bath, and then sleep-in late tomorrow morning.

I had just turned into the hall when I saw a familiar silhouette sitting across from my room. Finn was slumped against the wall asleep, and I felt really badly when I noticed there was a tie on the door he was next to. Seriously, Puck? I was not about to leave a sleeping Finn in the hall when I had plenty of room in my huge bed. I bent down and tapped him on the shoulder to wake him up. Of course he was still impossible to wake up, just like he always had been. Nice to know that hasn't changed about him.

"_Finn" _I said shaking him a little now. Still nothing. "_Finn"_ This time I said it with a little more force and touched his cheek. His eyes flew open at my contact with his face, and he looked alarmed at first, but then his face smoothed out and he smiled my favorite crooked smile.

"_Oh! Hey Rach."_

"_Come on, Finn. Kurt is staying in Mercedes' room tonight. You aren't sleeping out here. You have no clue how many weird people roam the halls at night. You're just lucky I found you first."_ I said this seriously, but when he started to laugh, I couldn't help but laugh as well.

I put my hand out for him to take, trying to be nice and help him up. He took it, but I had not braced myself properly for his weight, because as soon as he pulled on my hand, I came crashing down into his lap. We were extremely close, and he had this look like he had just done something really bad and was going to get punished. I think he was scared for my reaction, but I just started cracking up. Soon, he joined me, and we were just laying on the hotel hallway floor tangled, laughing our asses off. Finally he started to get up, and this time, he helped me up.

Still laughing, he said "_I'm so sorry, Rachel! I shouldn't have put all my weight into that. I forgot just how tiny you were!_

_"Hey!_ I said, in a mock-offended tone. I pushed him a little as I pulled out my key and slid it into the door. I turned the lights on and immediately went over to the bed to take my shoes off. I loved them, but they were killer on my toes!

"_Go ahead and make yourself at home. I'm sorry you got kicked out of your room. That sucks! I could have pounded on the door non-stop until he answered and let me it. Do you want me to try?"_

_"No! I'm sure you would"_ he said with a laugh. "_But Puck would have totally answered the door naked and if I went it, it wouldn't stop him from what he was doing before. I've tried, believe me. Never doing that again!_

I just looked at Finn with a disgusted look on my face. _"Noah is absolutely repulsive and I am sorry you had to room with him. Thankfully, Kurt grabbed his stuff for the night and is having a slumber party with Mercedes. I was planning on taking a bath, if you don't mind. You can use the bathroom first if you want? You know I like long baths…"_ I blushed a little, because it sounded suggestive and I totally did not mean for it to, but he didn't seem to mind.

_"Naw. You go ahead. I can wait a little._"

"_Ok. I'll try not to be too long!"_

I really did try not to take too long, but I couldn't help it! I love baths, and we don't have one in our apartment in NY. Plus, I had to shave everywhere since I was sleeping with Finn. Well not sleeping, like sex, but real sleeping…Don't think of that. Sex and Finn in the same sentence made me really hot. It has been so long though, so it was hard no to think about his body on my own, touching me in all the right place, and filling me perfectly. If I knew the last time we had sex was going to be the last time, I would have never let it stop. The night of graduation was the last time, and I was seriously sexually frustrated. But I just couldn't have sex with Brody. I didn't love him, but I was seriously beginning to think i should just have sex with him, and get it out of the way. How crazy is it that I was thinking that way? He was a grade A asshole, and I am so glad I didn't give him what he wanted from me. Sex was special to me, and he couldn't take that from me.

Finally, after I was pruney and the water was luke warm, I got out and dried myself. I realized I could have planned this better since all of my clothes were in the room, and all I had was a little hotel towel. I walked out of the bathroom, and saw Finn laying on the bed, still in his clothes from the night.

"_Sorry! I know I promised I wouldn't be too long, but I couldn't help myself. The bathroom is all yours."_

"_Rach, relax. Its fine. I rested my eyes and practiced my best man's speech, so it was perfect actually. Plus, I don't really have anything with me. No toothbrush or stuff to sleep in, so…"_

I completely forgot about that. "_Well, you can use my toothbrush. I know you don't have cooties." _I said the last part smiling, which made him smile in return.

"_Thanks, Rachel. I know how particular you are with germs and stuff, so I really appreciate it." _Then he placed his hand on his heart as he said, "_And I promise, I'm cootie free."_

He went into the bathroom and shut the door. I scurried over to my drawers and started to take out clothes to sleep in when I remembered I had none. All I had was lacy, revealing lingerie—No t-shirts or shorts. I started to panic a little because it would be inappropriate to wear black Victoria's Secret lace panties and matching bra, right? But I didn't have anything else, and these were my least skimpy undergarments, so they were my only option besides a dress. Between the two, I decided I'd go for the bra and panties.

I slipped them on, and then proceeded to brush out my hair. I really didn't feel like drying it tonight—I was tired and wanted to go to bed—so I just braided it loosely to the side and pinned back my bangs so they didn't go too crazy in my sleep. I was walking over to the bed when Finn came out of the bathroom. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared as he said some unintelligible words. I saw his penis immediately grow in his pants, and color flooded my cheeks.

"_Uh, I..I'm sorry! I should have told you I was coming out."_ He looked down and tried to discreetly cover his bulge, but it didn't work. I had already seen it, and I'm sure it was written all over my face. My thoughts in the bathtub came rushing back, and I started to feel tingling travel down my body. I gently shook my head to get the feelings away.

"_No! It's my fault. Kurt kind of packed for me, and didn't put any pajamas or anything remotely sleep worthy in my suitcase." _ I looked at him sheepishly, and he just raised his eyes to me in both horror and in lust. "_This is all I have…I picked the one that showed the least amount of skin, so that has to count for something, right?" _I let out a little laughed because it was totally ridiculous, me standing across the bed from Finn, almost completely naked. If someone told me this was how this weekend would go, I would have checked them into an mental hospital.

He saved me from even more awkwardness by laughing too. "_Well, if that's the least revealing one, I'd love to see the others."_ He was doing what he does best—lightening up the mood and maing me smile.

"Well…maybe if you're lucky"I winked and smiled, but he knew I was joking too. We were just bantering back and forth, and it was fun and carefree.

"_If you're going to sleep in that, I might as well get comfy too."_ He began to taking off his clothes until he was in his boxers. This only made his erection clearer, and my nipple grew hard too. The sexual tension in the room at that moment was crazy, and if I didn't get into bed and under the covers, I was going to jump him right then and there. So, that's what I did, and he followed suit, though I could tell he was just as disappointed as me. We couldn't do that, though. It would make everything so much more complicated. I would be going back to New York at the end of the weekend, and he would be staying in Ohio. I couldn't have my heart broken right now, and we were just getting back to being friends. Well, friends who were extremely attracted to each other and who are madly in love with one another.

"_Goodnight, Rach."_ His voice calm and sweet. Then, in almost a whisper, I heard him say "_I love you"_ I smiled to myself because these were the words he uttered to me every time we fell asleep next to each other.

In an equally quiet voice, I spoke my usual reply. "_Night, Finn. I love you too."_ Even though we weren't together, we couldn't break tradition. It would be wrong.

I awoke to the sunlight blinding my eyes. I could have sworn those blinds were closed last night before we went to sleep. I snuggled closer to the warmth I felt beside me, loving the way it felt. Finn shifted a little, but pulled me closer to him so our mostly bare bodies were pressed up against each other. I could feel his hard erection rub against my thigh, but I didn't care at all. I had just had the best night sleep for as long as I can remember. Most likely since I last slept with Finn, not including the time he snuck out on me in New York. I didn't sleep well that night.

All of a sudden, I heard a noise that sounded like someone was clearing their throat. I shot up, and looked directly into the eyes of Kurt. I felt Finn move beside me until he was sitting up in the bed too.

"_Well hello, you two. Sleep well?"_ He had this smile on his face that made me blush. He thought we had sex together last night, and by the look he was giving us, one would have thought he fully approved. It would have been the first time he approved of our sex life, since every time he caught us, he made us do things for him in exchange for not telling our parents what we were up to whenever they left the house. We ended up doing most of his chores…

"_It's totally not what you think!"_ Finn said, automatically saying what he always said when we were found in a compromising position. I always found it funny, because we were always doing exactly what people thought we were doing. We were usually on top of each other completely naked. If someone walked in on us like that and actually believed that we weren't having sex, they had to be three...or Brittany. But, this time he was right.

"_Kurt, look. Nothing happened last night. Finn got sexiled by Noah, and I told him he could stay with me since you were gone."_

He just looked at both of us and what we were wearing, or not wearing, and said, "_Sure. _

_"It's the truth! And I am only wearing this skimpy outfit because YOU didn't pack me anything to sleep in!"_

_"Ok, ok. I believe you guys. I've seen you two enough times to know what you look like post sex and this is not it. You don't have sex hair, and your both still wildly sexually frustrated. Maybe you should have just done it."_ He was making fun of us and loving every minute of it, while we were both bright red and unable to look at each other.

Finn got up and took his clothes from the previous night off of the floor. _"Thank you so much, Rachel. I'm going to check if my room is clear."_ He got to the door, but paused before leaving. He turned around with a crooked smile on his lips. "_I slept really great last night, by the way."_ And then he was out of the door. I just stared at the space he had just left until Kurt stepped into view and smiled bigger than I'd ever seen his smile.

"Ugh! Kurt!" I screamed as I fall back into bed. I proceeded to roll over to the side Finn had slept on and smelled his pillow. It smelled amazing—just like Finn. It was a mixture of laundry detergent, peppermint, and a distinctly Finn odor.

"_Excuse me, but I'm still standing here. Before you start making out and humping the pillow, could you please tell me about your night? _I rolled my eyes but went ahead and told him everything, even fantasizing about him in the tub. Even though nothing happened, or could happen, last night was like a dream come true. I had my favorite cuddle buddy back for the night, and it was so nice. I loved cuddling with Kurt, and Santana when she joined us, But nothing beat spooning and snuggling with Finn, nothing.

After taking a shower, getting dressed, and eating breakfast, all of the girls (plus Kurt) went to the spa for a little relaxation time. The day passed quickly, and the next thing I knew, I was laying in bed alone. Kurt had decided that he sees me all the time so he was spending the night with a different girl each night. When he told me that, so many jokes about being a whore came to mind, but I felt a little abandoned. I know we are basically with each other twenty-four-seven, but I'm not use to being alone anymore. In the city, I never feel alone because there are the noises, but here, it's so quiet and calm. He also teasingly said he could sleep on the same bed that Finn and I had slept on together because there was bound to be something dirty in the sheets. I punched him really hard after he said that.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep, thinking of Finn's warm body hugging me close to him. It wasn't as good as the real thing, but it was a pretty damn good image to fall asleep to.

I woke up, sweating and panting in the middle of the night. I peaked at the bedside clock and saw it was 2:43 am. What the hell woke me up at this hour? I always sleep straight through the night, so it must have been a bad dream. I tried to remember what I was dreaming about when it hit me. I was dreaming of Finn…and it was really intense. We were all over each other, kissing and touching everywhere, and I mean _everywhere_. I began getting worked up just thinking about it again. I was pretty positive I had just experienced my first wet dream, and it was amazing. Surely not as good or satisfying as the real thing, that's for sure, but it was as close as I was going to get. I rolled on to my back and willed myself to sleep so I could continue my fantasy sex. Unfortunately, I didn't work, and I woke up the next morning at 9. I was well rested, but I could tell I hadn't had another dream staring Finn, and as naughty and un-Rachel Berry like as it sounded, I really wish I had.


	5. It's Not the Way I Planned It

**Finn:**

It was Wedding day, and I was busy all morning and afternoon. I helped greet family members coming in from out of town, and let me tell you, Miss. Pillsbury's family was crazy. I was just trying to help them with their bags, but they kept yelling at me to keep my distance and not contaminate their belongings with my brunette-ness. I mean, what? I was just trying to help, but I guess they only interact with other gingers. I feel really badly for Mr. Schue…he was marrying into this craziness.

After all the wedding preparations, I went back to my room to shower and get dresses. I had no clue where Puck was, but I hoped he was already dressed. We were all meeting to head to the little chapel at 4:30 since the wedding would begin promptly at 5 pm. When I was finished getting dressed in my traditional black tux, I grabbed my speech and headed out the door. As I was leaving my room, I was bombarded with a bunch of high-pitched "_awes" _from the girls across the hall. They must have all gotten ready together in Kurt and Rachel's room, since they were filing out of it with their dresses on and hair and make-up complete. They all looked perfect, keeping with the theme of Valentines Day in their pink, red, or purple dresses.

I gestured for them to go ahead of me, "_Ladies first"_

_ "What a gentleman!"_ Tina said with a smile on her face and hooking arms with Mercedes' and Brittany as they walked down the hallway. I just smiled back because I couldn't tell her that I only said that because I wanted to wait for Rachel to come out. Quinn and Kurt came out next, each giving me a knowing smile. They knew exactly who I was waiting for. Santana walked through the door alone now, yelling loudly behind her.

"_If you don't get out here in the next minute, Midget, I am going to drag you out by your perfectly curled hair, and it will look like shit once I'm through with it! Get your ass moving!"_

She looked at me and glared when she too realized what I was doing. Man those three knew me too well! She just strutted past me and mumbled, "_She's all yours, Frankenteen"_ and left to join the rest of the group downstairs.

I returned my attention to the opened door when, all of a sudden, Rachel came hopping out on one heeled foot while trying to put her other heel on.

Still looking down and fiddling with her outfit, she asked, "_How do I look?"_ She had no clue I was the one she was asking, assuming Santana had been nice and waited for her.

I took a second to appreciate her outfit before making her aware of my presence. She had a hot pink long-sleeved lace dress on that hugged her curves perfectly and ended mid thigh. Damn! Why had she never shown off her legs this much back in high school? I knew they were great, you know, from seeing her naked, but I this was different. Her nude heels elongated them even more, and they appeared as if they went on for days. I liked when she wore heels, it meant she was closer to my height and I didn't have to bend down so much to..ah…talk to her. Her hair was in big curls framing her face and cascading past her boobs, and she barely wore any make-up except dark liner and mascara to accentuate her deep brown eyes. I felt like I had been staring to long, yet it had really only minute a half-second since she asked her question.

_"Stunning"_ I choked out huskily.

At my words, her head popped up and she had a shocked expression on her face. Her eyes were huge and her mouth was hanging open. We both looked over each other's appearance, totally unashamed of our obvious attraction.

_"Thanks, Finn"_ She said, biting her lip in apprehension. "_You look great too."_ We stood there kind of awkwardly, before she ran back inside the room and got her little purse. She took my hand into her own without a thought, and we walked down the hall to the elevator so we could leave for the wedding on time. It felt like old times, when we literally walked everywhere hand-in-hand. It was a great feeling, and I never wanted to let go.

We joined our friends in the lobby, and everyone turned to look at us approaching. I felt her start to pull away, unsure now that all eyes were on our intertwined fingers, but I just tightened my hold and squeezed her hand in reassurance. I pulled her along and smiled as I pointed in the direction of Kurt, Santana, and Quinn.

"_Come on, we don't want to be late! You three and Rachel can ride with me." _The three of them nodded and followed, while the rest divided up and got in the other cars. As we got to my SUV, I looked down at our hands and realized we would have to break apart. I opened the passenger door for her and reluctantly released her hand. I ran over to the driver's seat, climbed in, and started the car. Rachel leaned over and automatically connected her iphone into the car speakers.

Once she actually realized what she was doing though, her face got red and she started to unplug her phone from the stereo.

_"Oh Gosh! I'm so sorry! I-"_ I grabbed her hand to stop her and gave her a crooked grin.

"_Rach, it's fine. Old habits, right? I like listening to your music anyways. I've missed your little playlists for every occasion."_

"_Please don't tell her that!"_ Santana hollered from the back seat. "_Those fucking playlists make me want to strangle her."_

"_I agree! _Kurt spoke up. "_Just the other day, Rachel made a different playlist for making her bed, brushing her hair, and PMSing! I had no clue there were even that many songs that could be applied to that time of the month."_

Everyone was laughing by the end of his rant and Rachel just turned back and stuck her tongue out at the both of them. Santana just flicked her off in return.

"_Because you guys are so mean, I'm making everyone listen to my period mix!"_ And with that, she turned the music on and "Bleeding Love" came on. Everyone groaned in mock annoyance, but soon, everyone was belting out the lyrics and having a blast. It felt like old times and when, on instinct, I reached over for Rachel's hand, she didn't pull away. We drove the entire way holding hands, laughing, and singing.

* * *

The ceremony was quick, traditional, and perfectly planned by Miss. Pillsbury. Every so often, I would catch Rachel looking at me instead of the bride and groom and it made me nostalgic for what we could have been. But I pushed that out of my head, because we couldn't change the past. We can only hope for the future, and right at that moment, I was honestly hoping Rachel and I could have one together. Even if it merely meant friends, because it I've learned anything this weekend, it's that I can't not be apart of her life.

* * *

We got to the reception, and the part immediately started. You could tell that we all wanted to enjoy our last night together because everyone was taking advantage of the open bar. Even though none of us were 21, Puck made fake IDs and passed them out, and they were pretty funny.

"_Hi"_ Rachel said, holding out her hand for me to shake. "_My name's B.J. Swallows from New Mexico."_ She could barely hold in a giggle at how ridiculously sexual her name was. Count on Puck to do that.

I accepted her hand in mine, and introduced my alter ego to hers. "_Knight Jed I. From Maine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss B.J."_ I peeked over at her place card and saw we were seated at the same table. I offered her my arm and she gladly took it. _"Shall we?"_

_ "We shall."_

We mingled around with our friends, checking out their fake IDs and chatting about how beautiful the ceremony was. The reception had a huge dance floor, and as soon as dinner was eaten, the entire glee club was up dancing like maniacs. Everyone except me. I wasn't nearly drunk enough to make a fool of myself in public like that, but watching all the people I loved being so happy made me happy.

Rachel was dancing with Quinn and Santana. She was moving her hips from side to side, making her look even sexier than she already was. Just watching her, I could feel myself getting hard and I had to shift how I was sitting so I wasn't visible. She glanced my way and a huge grin spread over her face as she waggled her finger at me to come join her, which only increased the size of my boner. I shook my head, but she didn't appear to like my answer because she skipped over to me and pulled my hand.

"_Please? Come on! It will be fun!"_ She said with her cute and excited voice and puppy dog eyes. She knew she had me, because I have never been able to resist her when she looks at me like that. I gave in to her, like always, and let her drag me to the dance floor.

By midnight, most of the older wedding guests had retreated to their rooms for the night, so it was basically a glee club reunion. A really outrageous, out of control, reunion...Puck, Santana, and Quinn were completely wasted and basically humping each other on the dance floor. Brittany and Mike were having an epic dance-off with Sam, Mercedes, Tina, and Artie watching and cheering them on. Kurt and Blaine had been making out, but left about ten minutes ago, and I did not want to think about what they were up to. And then there were Rachel and myself, sitting down and taking a break from all the dancing we had done. We were sipping on Champaign, and letting out hands and legs brush against each other. We were still pretty sober, perhaps only slightly tipsy, and we allowed our friends to entertain us with their crazy antics.

The fast paced music faded out and the lead singer of the wedding band announced that this would be the last song of the night. The band began playing "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele, and I felt the mood immediately change. It went from high energy, loud, and senseless, to intimate and romantic.

I turned to Rachel. "_Dance with me?"_

_"You don't have to. I know I've made you dance way more than you ever wanted to tonight."_

_"I want to…"._ I said, and captured her hand and took her to the middle of the dance floor. All of our friends left as soon as the slow song came on, which only left Rachel and I. We were really close, her breasts pushed up against my chest and my hand on her lower back. All of the sexual tension that had been building throughout the weekend seemed to come to a blow, and we needed each other.

My mouth found hers in desperation, and she returned the kiss just as desperately. Our hands began running over each other's bodies hurriedly and passionately, and our kissing became frantic and carnal. She pulled her head back slightly, looking meaningfully in my eyes, wondering if I wanted to do this. I answered by tugging on her hair to bring her to my mouth again, this time slower and more romantically. She moaned in blissful pleasure and ran her hands up my chest achingly slowly, driving me crazy. I wanted to throw her on the stage and take her right there and then, but by the looks we were receiving from the band and catering staff, I figured it was time to get a room.

* * *

**Rachel:**

We made it all the way to the elevator before losing control again. He pushed me against the back wall, firmly holding my in place. His hands found the backs of my thighs and he pulled me up so my legs wrapped around his waist. My arms were around his neck, and his hands were caressing my ass to hold me up. Finn stumbled out of the elevator and somehow managed to carry me to the room without falling over in a massive heap. As soon as we were in the room, he let me down and I slid down his body, feeling his extreme need for me as I went.

We stepped back from each other, and Finn was almost completely stripped within seconds, only wearing his favorite blue boxers. His body had really changed in our time apart. He was leaner, yet muscular in all the right places. I was still fully dressed as my zipper was in the back and required help. I silently padded over, turned my back to him, and moved my hair from my neck. He understood what I wanted and happily obliged, slowly easing me out of my dress. He ran his cool fingers over my increasingly hot, bare skin as he went, until I was in my pale pink bra and matching thong.

He was still behind me, and I felt his breath in my ear. "_You. Are. Breathtaking."_ His lips brushed over my neck and then he began sucking on the spot on my neck he knew drove me crazy.

"_Mmmm"_ I hummed in pleasure. My legs felt like they were going to give out, and he must have noticed I was struggling under his touch, because he turned me around and placed his strong hands on my waist to steady me. He led me backwards until I fell back onto the comforter. He stood above me, simply staring at my nearly bare form, before joining me.

He gently crawled on top of me, and I could feel the large boner in his boxers on my stomach. I reached down to stroke his erection, and heard his whimpering response. As I did this, he continued his previous assault on my neck, sucking and licking as he went down from my neck to chest. When he reached my breasts, he slipped each strap off of my shoulders, and I lifted up my back so he could unhook my bra. He was successful in one swift move and I was freed.

He took a breast in each of his large hands and started to message them until they were completely hardened. I arched my back and pushed them into his hands, wanting him to continue. The feeling was nauseatingly good, and I couldn't wait any longer—we had waited long enough—I needed him in that moment. We needed to finally release all of our pent-up and painful desires. I put my hands on his to stop his movements on my breasts, while wrapping my legs around him. In one swift motion, I flipped us over so I was on top and straddling him. We made lustful eye contact and I felt as if I could see the steam radiating from our bodies. His eyes were dark and he was groaning as my hips bucked against his.

I took the waistband of his boxers in my hand and tugged them down his legs. Next, I lifted my body from his, and slid my own underwear down, so now we were both buck-naked. His bear skin on mine felt amazing and I needed to touch every part of him. I ran my hands in a slow pattern from his chest to his belly button. "_Oh God! Rach, please..."_ He whispered longingly, while thrusting his hips up to meet mine, and I took that as my cue.

I slowly eased my self down to his body, and we both gasped at the contact as we began a slow rhythm. I threw my head back in pleasure and he took a firm grasp of my hips to guide me. I returned my mouth to his because I needed the contact. He started to nibble on my lower lip before exploring my mouth with his tongue. Our emotions and desires took complete control, and soon, I was calling out his name in ecstasy and he immediately followed with my name on his lips.

We were spent and breathing hard, so it took a while until either one of us was able to form words. Still breathless he muttered the first words, "_Rach…"_

I couldn't talk, so I just snuggled closer and laid my head on top of his chest. I let my hands wander around his skin, simply enjoying the contact. He placed a kiss to my temple, and ran his hands down my sides, before resting in my hair. He gently played with my hair, and I could feel my eyelids growing heavy. The last thing I remember before drifting to sleep were his loving words in my ear as he stroked my cheek.

"_I love you so much Rachel. I love you."_

I was dreaming before I could tell him that I loved him too…

* * *

My dreams were interrupted by a loud, annoying ringing. I was groggy and disoriented, but realized it was the hotel phone and picked it up before it stopped ringing.

"_Hello?"_ I answered, sleep still evident in my voice. I felt Finn shift next to me, unhappy to have been woken up.

"_Rachel Barbara Berry, get you ass down to brunch now! I have been calling your cell phone non-stop for the last 30 minutes! Do not make me come up there and pull you out of bed myself, because I will not be happy."_ He actually sounded pissed, so I knew I was in trouble. I glanced at the clock and let out a small shriek. "_And while you're up there, can you pound on Finn's door? I have been trying him too, but he wasn't answering either. You know him, he sleeps like a rock._

"_Don't come up!"_ I said quickly._ "I'll get Finn and we'll be down in less than 10."_ I hug up without a goodbye, because Finn and I were really, really late.

I smacked Finn's sleeping form and yelled at him, panicking slightly. "_ Finn! We are soo late! Get up now!_

"_Hmm?_ _What'd you say?"_ I lifted his head up and looked really confused.

"_I said, we need to get ready in like 5 minutes! It's already noon, and brunch started at 11:00. We need to go now!_ I was already up, rushing to find something that matched. I ended up picking the first thing I reached for, which happened to be the red skinny jeans. I found a cream, silk flowy tank with sequence on the neckline,a black fitted blazer, and nude pumps. 'Perfect', I thought to myself.

Finn was slowly getting up and catching his bearings as I was dressing. I desperately tried not to notice that he was walking around the room naked, but I was human after all. I allowed myself five seconds to check him out before returning my focus to dressing myself.

"_I've got to go grab some clothes from my room, but just knock on my door when you're ready." _He said.

"_Ok, I'll be done in like five minutes, so hurry up!_ I was still in panic mode because I hate being late, especially to things with a very specific arrival time. My plane was leaving at 3 this afternoon, which meant we had to be at the airport at 1:30. That gave me less than an hour and a half to say goodbye to everyone. Shit! Why did I forget to set an alarm? Last night was so intense and unexpected that I didn't really have time to think, let alone set an alarm.

I had finished dressing, and took a look at my reflection in the mirror. I really loved this outfit—I'd have to thank Kurt and Santana for selecting another great one later—but my hair showed the tell tale signs of sex. I didn't have time to shower, or even really fix it much, so I decided to go with the mused, 'beachy' look today. Luckly, sex hair really didn't look so bad on me, so I just ran my fingers through the loose curls a bit, put some light make-up on, and I was off to Finn's room.

I only had to knock twice before he came running out the door. He took my hand and we jogged to the elevator so we wouldn't be any later than we already were. Once inside the elevator, we finally had a moment to think about what had happened not five hours previously. We turned to face each other, hands still together, and I'm sure we looked like we were in our own world. He opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something important, but the elevator opened, and we jumped back a bit. Standing there, with his arms crossed was Kurt, and he looked even more pissed than he sounded on the phone—and he sounded really mad before.

I was kind of shocked that he was so mad, because it wasn't like we were missing _his_ brunch, but he was stressed and needed to take it out on someone. I was just sorry it had to me. I had quickly read through my text messages earlier, and saw that I missed a lot from Kurt during the wee hours of the morning. He texted, 'I might have accidentally had sex with Blaine' while lying next to a sleeping Blaine. He needed to vent and for me to reassure him that he hadn't screwed up, but I was MIA. And, the truth was, I couldn't be of any help since I was in the exact same position. But I didn't tell him that because I needed to discuss whatever happened was with Finn first. So for now, Finn and my little rendezvous would be our little secret.

Kurt took me by the arm and dragged me out of the elevator, leaving Finn alone. I snuck a glance back and saw that he looked surprised and disappointed at our sudden distance, but he followed behind us anyways. We would have time to talk later…

As it turned out, we didn't have time to talk later. Kurt held me to his side the entire time, mingling with everyone except Finn and Blaine. When the time came for us to leave for the airport, I hadn't seen Finn for almost an hour. I searched the lobby for him so I could at least say goodbye, but he was no where in sight.

"_Berry! Get your tiny ass moving! We cannot be late, or else security will be even more of a bitch than it already is!"_ Santana was swatting my butt with her hand, and I jumped to get out of the line of fire. Her spankings hurt!

_"Ok, ok! I'm coming!"_ I said, still distracted by trying to locate the extremely tall and attractive man I had passionately made love to just last night. It was no use, though, so I rolled my luggage out of the hotel and made my way to the cab that was waiting to take us to the airport. The whole way home, I couldn't get my mind off of Finn. I couldn't believe that we left it like that. I knew I shouldn't have slept with him, because it makes everything so much harder. It's like losing him all over again, and it kills me to keep it inside. Even though I'm pretty sure both Kurt and Santana hooked up with people at the wedding, I needed to keep this to myself. It was a special moment between Finn and I, and telling anyone about it felt like it would diminish it. If I told them, they would ask endless questions about the sex and how I was emotionally holding up, and I didn't even know how to answer those myself. No, I was going to keep the last memories I had of Finn to myself.

* * *

One week later…

Finn and I hadn't spoken since the night we had sex. I think we were both waiting for the other to make the first move, but I didn't know what to say to him. 'I miss you like crazy, I still love you, so please come to New York so we can finally be together?' Yeah, right! I can't ask him to do that when that's not what he wants. I have no clue if he has a plan for his future yet, but he needs to find his own path, not follow mine. I could not be with him knowing he would eventually resent me, or think that his life might have been better if he never knew me.

Although my love for him was so strong it hurt sometimes, I guess I was finally discovering that love wasn't enough. People love each other all the time, but that doesn't mean they end up together. We want different things in life, and they are not compatible with each other. I will always love Finn, and I'm sure he will always love me—we were each other's firsts loves—but we need to find partners who are similar and stable, not mismatched and unpredictable like we were.

I was throwing myself into schoolwork and auditions, and before I knew it, March had arrived. It was the beginning of Spring break, but I wasn't going back to Ohio since I'd just visited a month before. Kurt had decided to go back home to spend time with his dad, so it was just Santana and I in the apartment. Burt was doing really well and responding to the treatment, but Kurt still liked going home and being with his father through the treatments if he could.

I had recently been cast in an off-Broadway musical production of _The Sound of Music_, playing Liesl, so I was extremely busy and distracted. It was rare for a freshman to be cast in such a leading role, and I was extremely honored and ecstatic as it would be my first paying acting job. The best part was that the play only ran from Thursday-Sunday, so I could still focus on my classes. I was getting $650 a week, and since the show was supposed to run until the end of May, I would be making $6,500 by the time the show closed.

I really wanted to prove to everyone that I deserved the role, so I was staying late and working harder than I've ever worked in my life. It was taking a toll on my body, though, and I sometimes forgot to eat. It was opening in less than a week, so the rehearsals were getting longer and more intense. I got home from rehearsal around midnight on Friday, and I was feeling miserable. My head hurt, I felt nauseous, and I was exhausted. I collapsed on my bed and fell asleep right away.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I awoke to bile rushing up my throat. I stumbled out of bed and made it to the toilet just in time. I heaved for ten minutes until all contents of my stomach were gone, which wasn't much. I had only eaten a banana and a couple bites of lettuce in the last 24 hours, so I didn't know how I could even throw up when I didn't have much to begin with.

I was tired once I finished throwing-up, and couldn't make it back to my room. I laid my head down on the cold tile floor, and let it cool my feverish forehead down. I was like that for a while, just thinking about the past couple of weeks, when I suddenly bolted up in alarm.

I began mentally counting in my head…'Ok, so I had it two weeks before the wedding, so that would have been the first…it's the 8th…that's 8 days late, and I'm never late! I'm on the pill though, so I can't be, right? I mean, I take it everyday at the same time, so I should be good. Except, thinking back to before the wedding, I can remember a specific morning where I was preoccupied with something else, and I may have forgotten to take it…

"_No…Shit! This cannot be happening!"_ I finally realize that I never took it the morning after the whole Brody fiasco, and forgetting just one time can result in pregnancy. I read that on the label and my doctor reminded me every time I saw her that being on the pill was not 100% effective. Although I still felt gross and sick, I needed to know. I couldn't wait and think of the possibilities any longer, so I tossed on my coat and Uggs, and headed down to the 24/7 CVS pharmacy by the apartment.

I returned home with three different boxes, and I would have grabbed more, but I didn't want to take time to get money from the ATM, so I bought what I could with the money I had on me. I took each of them and set my timer for five minutes. I watched as the numbers went down, and wondered why in the world these tests took so long. People taking these tests needed to know immediately! That's why they were taking a pregnancy test, for fucks sake!

The timer went off, but now I wished it had taken longer. I slowly rose from the toilet lid and walked to the sink where I had them lined up. I peered down nervously, feeling like I was going to pass out.

Negative. Positive. Positive.

What the hell!? What does that mean? Am I pregnant or not? I mean the first one said 'No', so I was glad to go with that answer, however, wasn't there a saying: 'majority ruled'? I sat back down, in complete shock, not knowing what to do next.

Just then Santana burst through the bathroom door, hands on her hips and a scowl on her lips.

_"What the fuck are you doing?! It's 4 in the morning!"_ She paused when she really took in my appearance, and then turned her attention to the three white sticks in the sink. Her eyes widened as she approached them.

"_Rachel…?"_ she said my name like a question, but I couldn't speak the words out loud. It would make it real, and this had to be a dream. I was going to wake up, and go to work and everything would be normal.

She snapped me out of my wishful thinking by crouching down in front of me and taking my chin in her hands so I would focus on her.

"_Rachel. This does not necessarily mean you're…it doesn't mean anything yet."_ See, even she couldn't say the word out loud. "_We will go to the health center tomorrow as soon as it opens to get an absolute answer, ok? Do. Not. Panic. Ok? Do you want me to call Kurt?"_ She looked really sincere in her words to me, and I was reminded of just how great of a friend to me she had become.

"_No..p-please don't."_ I started bawling at that point because I was thinking of Finn, and I had tried so hard to forget about him the last month. Now, I was not only being reminded of him, but also of the last time we shared together.

She nodded and took me in her arms, wrapping me tightly inside them. Then she scooped me up out of the bathroom, and into my bed. She stayed with me that night, and I let the exhaustion set in. I couldn't think about the possibly that I might be pregnant, or else I would have an all-out panic attack. Tomorrow, I'd find out if I was pregnant with Finn's child...


	6. No Regrets, Just Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**The chapter are lyrics from "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Rachel:**

Surprisingly, I slept until 10 am. It was most likely because I was up half night being sick and worrying. I walked into the kitchen and saw Santana on the phone.

"_Alright, thank you"_ She sounded tired. She turned around and saw me standing there and gave me a small smile. "_I just got off the phone with the NYADA health center, and they said they're only opened from 11-4 today since it's the weekend. Go take a shower, and we'll head over there so we're there when they open."_ She turned back to brew the coffee she had already started, and I went to take a shower.

I was numb and couldn't talk on our way to the health center. Santana signed me in and led me to a seat. The waiting room was busy, and the lady at the front desk said it could be awhile. We could have gone to my gynecologist, but this was free and I didn't want to spend that much money when I didn't know if I was actually pregnant. Plus, this felt a little less real since I could be here for any reason. To the people around me, I could simply have the flu, whereas at a gynecologists' office, people would wonder if I was pregnant. I couldn't deal with those looks right now.

We had been waiting for almost an hour, when Santana turned to me and told me she had to call Kurt. He was flying in today, and expected us to meet him at the airport.

"_I'm sorry, Rach, but I have to call Kurt before his flight leaves Columbus. We won't make it to the airport at this rate, and we can't leave him hanging." _His flight was scheduled to depart in an hour, and arrive at 2 pm, so she was right.

I still couldn't talk, so I just nodded my head in agreement. It would be selfish and rude to not show up without warning. Even though I didn't want anyone else knowing, it was only a matter of time before he knew, so I'd let Santana tell him. She got up and left the waiting room to call Kurt since cell phones weren't permitted in there. That left me alone in the room, and I allowed my eyes to wander. Bad idea! I saw three pregnant girls around my age all alone, and I almost threw up. Is that what I had to look forward to? Going to the school health center alone because I was a single mom-to-be? My eyes started to water, so I picked up a magazine to distract me from my thinking.

Santana came back a few minutes later, looking a little flushed. She sat down and took my hand. Kurt must have not taken the news very well, because Santana did not usually get like this.

"_What did he say?"_ I whispered with tears in my eyes. My voice sounded strange and weak since it was the first time I had talked since last night.

She looked at me sadly. "_He said he wishes he was here with you, and he will be waiting for us when we get home."_ She gripped my hand a little harder and said, "_We will be here for you no matter what, Rachel." _I tried to smile, but I'm sure it looked more like a grimaced. We continued to sit and wait, watching as people got called back to see a physician. There seemed to be a lot of cases of the flu, so at least those patients were in and out quickly.

"_Rachel Berry?" _The nurse called my around 1:15, and we followed her back to a room. She took my blood pressure, asked some questions, and then took a blood sample.

"_The doctor will come in with your test results in a few minutes."_

Once she left, I started to have a panic attack and tears were running down my eyes. "_Oh, God! Santana, I can't do this. What if I'm…?"_ I was shaking and couldn't control myself.

"_Breath, Rachel, breath. I know I'm the last person you want with you in this situation, but you have to breath!"_ She had her hands on my shoulders and was taking deep breaths, which I was supposed to mimic. I took a deep breath and let it out, and repeated this for a couple minutes until I was calm enough to talk.

"_Santana, I love you, and if I had to be in this situation, I'm glad you're the one with me. I love Kurt too, but he would never have been able to calm me down or be rational about this. Thank you." _ I hugged her tightly, as the door opened.

We both turned to look at the older male doctor coming in with a clipboard. 'This is it', I thought to myself, and all color drained from my face.

"_Miss Berry, I am Dr. Cross."_ He said as he held out his hand to shake mine. He gave me a small smile, and I didn't know if it was a good smile or a bad one—a 'you're not pregnant' smile or 'yes, your totally knocked up' smile.

"_I took a look at your blood work, and I found some irregularities-"_

"_Dr. Cross, I'm sorry but can you please just tell us if she's pregnant? She can't handle the dramatics right now." _Santana interrupted him suddenly.

He gave a nod in response and looked right at me as he said the next words.

"_Miss. Berry, you're pregnancy test came back negative. You are not pregnant, but sometimes home pregnancy tests come back with false positives. You were just unlucky enough to get two of those. I'm sorry that you had this scare, but it is important to talk about why you were experiencing these symptoms."_

Once he said that I was not pregnant, I let out a huge breath I hadn't known I was holding. Santana gave an audible 'thank god', and smiled at me.

Dr. Cross continued talking, "_Rachel, you are malnourished, dehydrated, and suffering from severe exhaustion. This cannot be taken lightly. You must eat more often, drink more water, as well as get plenty of sleep. I know you are a busy college student, but if you don't change you're lifestyle, you won't be in this office; you'll be in the hospital. _

He gave me some guidelines to follow, and told Santana to insure that I followed them. I rolled my eyes when she said she would. Her and Kurt were going to be Nazis about this now. We both nodded in agreement, and left the health center in a drastically different mood than when we arrived.

We took a taxi home, and pulled up outside the apartment building around 2:45. We figured Kurt would be home, but decided to just tell him the news in person. Once we got to the door, Santana pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. We both walked through the door together, but paused when we saw Kurt was not alone. Finn was standing in our living room as well. I stopped in my tracks, with my mouth wide open. I looked from Kurt to Finn, in horror and shock.

Santana looked pissed at Kurt. "_Um, Kurt? Why is Finn here?"_

Kurt looked over at me with a concerned and sorry expression on his features. "_You called me while Finn was driving me to the airport…he kind of heard my shriek and responses to you. There really was no hiding it from him, and I didn't think I should anyways. I mean, it concerns him too…"_

Everyone was staring at me, waiting for me to say the words.

_"I'm not pregnant" _I finally whispered, but tears pooled in my eyes.

Finn took three quick strides towards me, and pulled me into his large arms. I buried my head in his chest as I cried out of both shock and relief. He held me close while gently consoling me. "_I love you, Rach. I love you so much. You're ok. Everything is going to be ok. I love you."_

Kurt and Santana left us alone, and went to one of their bedrooms, probably so Santana could fill him in on the entirety fiasco.

I pulled away from Finn, and looked straight into his caramel colored eyes. I couldn't believe he was here. Even though I wasn't having a baby, it was amazing that he would have been here if I had been.

"_W-what are you_ _doing here?"_

"_Well, I overheard Kurt's conversation with Santana and made him tell me what was going on. I couldn't let you go through this alone, Rach. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking that night, and just assumed you were still on the pill. It's all my fault that you even had this scare."_

I reached up and put my finger to his lips to stop him from the self-blame. "_Finn, no. Don't even say that. I am on birth control, but I forgot to take it after the whole Brody incident. We are both responsible for what happened that night, but I'm not pregnant, so let's not think about who's to blame."_

I pulled him to the couch and we sat facing each other. I curled my legs under my body, and we looked at each other. I had thousands of questions running through my head, but most of them came back to the one I ended up asking.

_"Where did you go at the brunch? I did even get to say goodbye to you, and now we haven't talked since. It's been a month, Finn…"_ I wasn't angry, but my voice definitely sounded sad and hurt.

He looked at me with longing and shifted closer to me, so my face was captured in his large hands. "_I'm so sorry. I had to help Will get the wedding gifts into the car. I came back as soon as I was finished, but Sam said you had left already. I thought it meant that the previous night didn't mean anything to you, and that you didn't want to hear from me."_ He pressed his lips to mine, and I could feel all of his emotions in the kiss. Longing. Worry. Love.

He pulled back a little to speak. "_I thought about you every second of every day. I love you Rachel, and I truly want to be with you. Please say you want to be with me too." _

"_I love you too, Finn. And I feel like I can finally breath now that you're here with me, but I can't do this to you. You don't want to be here-" He interrupted me this time with a kiss._

_"You're wrong. There is absolutely nowhere else I want to be. I know what I want now, but I was going to tell you next week. I was planning on coming down for the opening night of your musical, but I guess life had other plans." _He smiled a little and kissed my hand.

_"I've been working a lot at Burt's shop, and he taught me all about running the business so while he was out of town or having chemo, he wouldn't have to worry about it. I am actually good at it and it gave me some confidence. I decided to apply to some colleges and see if I's get in. I had Blaine tutor me for the SATs and I got a decent score—nothing like yours, but still pretty good. I applied to Ohio State, Toledo, The City College of New York, NYU, and Brooklyn Community College."_

I was just staring at him like a fool. "_A..and…?"_

_"I got into all of them…I accepted, and I am going to NYU in the fall"_

I was on top of him screaming, cheering, and kissing him anywhere my mouth could reach.

"_Finn! You're going to be in New York next year?!" _I said, still in shock from the day. It had been a crazy day so far, but it was turning out to be one of the best nights ever. This is about as far from what I had imagined this day going as possible.

"_Yep. And actually, I thought I'd move here sooner and get settled, that is, if you'll have me?"_

_"Of course! I love you so much, Finn."_ I was slowly rubbing my hands on his chest, needing more contact. He picked me up in one swift motion and carried me to my bedroom. He shut the door with his foot, and set me down gently on the bed. He looked at me apprehensively.

"_Rach, are you sure you want to do this? We don't have to do anything, we could just cuddle." _

I pulled him down by his shirt collar, and kissed him slowly and passionately. "_Hmmm ok, but can we at least make-out?"_ I said, smiling against his lips.

I felt him smile as well, and he climbed on the bed so he was on top of me. "_Always"_.

We fell asleep in each other's arms and it was the best feeling ever. I never wanted to be apart again. I knew I was still unbelievably in love with Finn Hudson.

* * *

**Finn:**

I woke up with my body wrapped around Rachel's small frame, and it made me smile the widest smile in the world. I was so happy that we had talked (and kissed) last night. We talked through everything that has happened in the last few months, and how we were going to make this work this time. She told me about what the doctor told her, and I vowed that I would make sure she followed those instructions to a T. Plus, I could think of several ways to help her relax. I smiled to myself thinking of that, because I could kiss her and make love to her anytime we wanted now. We were together—boyfriend and girlfriend—and we were forever. I could not picture my future without Rachel by my side, holding my hand. She was my everything, and I loved her with all my heart.

* * *

4 Years Later…

May 16, 2017

Today, I was getting married. Rachel would finally become my wife. I had been waiting for this day for so long, but I'm happy we waited until now. If we had gotten married 5 years ago, it wouldn't have been right. We needed to grow up and find ourselves before taking such a serious step. We had both come so far from that day I came to New York and we went through that pregnancy scare.

I had just graduated from NYC with a business and management degree and a cumulative GPA of 3.5. I had majored in business and minored in music, and it had been really difficult the first few months of freshman year. I spent more time studying at the library or with a tutor than I did with Rachel. However, once I learned all the major concepts and was able to apply them to real world situations, it all clicked. I was really good at business and understood what would work and what wouldn't. Many of my professors commented that I was a natural and my leadership would take me far. I had never been happier or felt more accomplished than when they said they believed in me. It didn't hurt that Rachel showed her pride at my successes in a very effective manner, either. Very effective…I'm pretty sure when I got my first A on a college paper for business ethics, we had sex five times. In one night! I wanted to get a lot more A's after that one, and I did.

I got offered a paid internship the summer of my junior year at a multi-billion dollar management corporation called Donne Enterprises. At first, I was merely an assistant who got coffee and documents organized. Once I was a senior, they said I would have a full-time position with the company after I graduated. They focused on assisting large commercial companies (clothing, food, and electronic chains) run their businesses effectively and efficiently. It wasn't my favorite job, but I was learning a lot and making useful contacts with the companies I worked with. I was also making good money, so Rachel and I could have enough money to settle down in our own apartment. I didn't see myself doing this for the rest of my life, but if I ever wanted to start my own business, I needed to know the in's and out's of how to start and run one successfully.

Rachel was doing amazingly too! She already had a job lined up as soon as she graduated. She was the understudy for Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway. How amazing was that?! She had gotten a lot of attention from casting agents during her stint in an Off-Broadway production of "Westside Story" as Maria senior year, so she had gotten offers left and right. She chose this part because it was actually on Broadway, so even though she was an understudy, it brought her that much closer to her dreams.

She got her chance 3 months later when the leading actress suffered from a nervous breakdown after her boyfriend left her. As sad as that was, we couldn't help but be ecstatic that Rachel would be given the chance to star on Broadway. Some of our friends were able to came and support her on her debut, so we caught up and celebrated after. It was so nice to see everyone again.

After playing Belle for 5 months, she got a huge surprise…a casting agent called and said she was casting for a new movie and she wanted Rachel to come and audition. It was _Wicked_, and she could not pass up the offer. Although she never imagined being a film actress, this was a chance of a lifetime. I had work the day she auditioned, but Santana went with her so I felt better. I got a call around lunchtime, and my eardrums might have gotten slightly damaged. She had gotten the part! They said they wanted an unknown actress who could sing and act, and Rachel had been exactly what they were looking for.

* * *

That was three months ago, and now, here we were about to get married. As soon as the reception was over, we were flying to LA for a short honeymoon before she started filming. I got 10 days off work, so we were going to enjoy our time together for as long as possible. It was not ideal to be start our marriage apart—we would be apart for 1 ½ months, 45 days—and it would be hard, but we could do it. We were trying to work out a plan where we would switch off who visited whom, so we wouldn't go two weeks without seeing each other at all. Not to mention, Skype would be our new best friend.

I didn't really want to think about being apart. Today was a happy day—the happiest day of my life—and I would have my entire life to be with Rachel. As I was looing in the mirror, messing with my tux, I thought of the night I proposed to Rachel…

* * *

August 30th, 2016

I was insanely nervous. I knew I'd done this before, but it didn't mean it was any less nerve wracking. I had decided to take the romantic and intimate route, so I was in our tiny little kitchen attempting to cook her favorite vegan meal. I wasn't the best cook, but I thought I was doing pretty well since it was a fairly simple recipe for vegan pizza. It was in the oven baking, so I took that moment to change into my dark jeans and black short-sleeved V-neck. I wanted to look nice, but not too nice and tip her off that this was a special occasion. I mean, it was already strange enough that I cooked dinner and dessert, I didn't want to raise her suspicions even more by looking all dressed up. Plus, she would probably be wearing something similar, and I didn't want her to feel underdressed.

I heard the door close and Rachel's voice yell a greeting from the living room. I panicked. I wasn't ready for her to come home yet! She wasn't supposed to get out of rehearsal until 7:30, and it was only 7!

Trying to play it cool, I did what I usually did when she came home. I walked right up to her kissed her while picking her feet up off of the floor a bit. _"Hello" _I said, with my lips still close to her's.

She giggled_ "Hello to you too. It smells fantastic! Did you cook this?" _she looked happy and surprised when I nodded sheepishly.

I took her hand and led her to the floor where I had blankets lied out. While she sat down, I checked on the pizza and silently cheered when I saw it was done. 'Alright', I thought to myself. 'This is still going as planned. It will still be perfect'.

I walked over to where she was leaning against the couch, sipping her favorite organic red wine. She looked up when she realized what I made, and clapped her hands excitedly.

_"Finn! You made my favorite! Thank you so much! What's the occasion?"_

I choked a little on the wine I was drinking and took a minute to recover. I was not giving this away_. "No special occasion. I just had some time after work, so I thought I would treat you to some of your favorites. I mean you did just get back from rehearsing for 12 hours, so you need to relax and eat."_ I saw her head nod in agreement, and I knew I was safe from her suspicions.

We ate and talked about our days, laughing and enjoying each other's company. This is one of things I loved most about her. We could just be talking and hanging out, and it was awesome. Once we finished the pizza and wine, we cuddled a little and I messaged her shoulders. She was groaning at the feeling, when a smell permeated our noses.

_"Uh, Finn? Did you leave the oven on?" _

_"Shit!"_ I got up and ran the short distance to the kitchen. I pulled a burnt lump from the oven, and sighed sadly. I had ruined the dessert that I was going to propose over. Rachel came in then, and started to open the windows to air out the smell. She saw me dejectedly standing over the severely burnt vegan cake, and wrapped her small arms around my body.

_"It's ok Finn. I think we have some vegan ice cream in the freezer." _She lightly kissed my cheek and walked to the freezer to grab it. I turned around and smiled at her. She knew I was disappointed in myself, but she knew exactly how to comfort me. This is another reason why I want to marry her, I thought to myself, and stupid little glitches in the plan weren't going to stop me. I grabbed two spoons from the drawer, and took her free hand.

We sat cuddled together on the couch, feeding each other ice cream and whispering sweet words to each other. After a while, it got quite and I decided now was as good a time as any. I looked down at her ready to pour my heart out and propose, when I noticed why it was so quite. She was fast asleep in my lap, her head resting on my chest. She looked so peaceful and beautiful while she slept, I didn't want to wake her.

I reached into me pocket carefully and took out the blue box with the engagement ring inside. It was simple, yet elegant, with a silver band and a large single diamond set in the middle. I had picked it out myself, and thought it suited Rachel perfectly. I was siting there staring at the ring distractedly, when I felt Rachel shift on top of me. I quickly shut the box and hid it in the couch cushions.

_"Sorry." _ She said sleepily. _"I didn't mean to fall asleep in the middle of our perfect evening."_ She snuggled closer and kissed my chest.

_"It's ok. I love watching you sleep. It gives me time to think"_ I said honestly, pulling her closer and kissing her hair.

She smacked me playfully and tried to keep the smile off of her face. "_You creep! What are you thinking about while you watch me sleep? _

_"Well…"_ I said picking up her hand and stroking it. "_I think about how beautiful you are, and how much I love you."_ I kissed the back of her hand and then pulled her up so her face was inches from mine. "_And I think about how you make everyday better just by being in my life. How you can put a smile on my face simply by saying my name or giggling or looking at me. And, finally, I think about how incredibly happy and lucky I would be if I got to spend everyday for the rest of my life with you by my side."_ She was tearing up at this point, and I think she had an idea of where this was going. I wiped away the single tear that escaped, and then reached for the box. When I pulled it out, her breath hitched and she struggled to hang on to the rest of her tears.

I shifted out from under her, and bent down on one knee right in front of her. I opened the box and the ring was shining brightly._ "So, Rachel Berry, will you make my all of my dreams come true…will you marry me?" _

She was shaking and crying, but she managed to get her answer out. "_Yes!"_ I hugged her so hard in that moment. We had sex on every surface of the apartment that night and into the early hours of the morning. We were in absolute bliss, and couldn't wait to start our lives together.

* * *

As I thought back to that moment now, I realized how wonderful it was. It didn't go according to plan, but it was better that what I had planned. I spoke from my heart and it came naturally. If I've learned anything in the past 7 years with her, it was we had to let things happen in there own. Forcing things wasn't going to get us anywhere. The first time I proposed, it took days for her to respond, but this time, she said yes immediately. That is how I knew we were ready for this. We were still young at 23, but we had matured so much, and I knew it was right this time.

We were getting married in 3 short hours. Then we would be husband and wife, and my face hurt as I thought of that because I was smiling so widely.

* * *

**Rachel:**

We had 3 hours until the wedding and I was shockingly calm. I wasn't worried or anxious; I was just excited and happy. In 3 hours, I would be Mrs. Hudson! I was changing my name legally, but planned to keep 'Berry' for the stage. Not only was it helpful since it is what I'm already know as in the business, but it also helps with privacy. I wasn't really famous or anything, but I did have fans and an occasional paparazzi seeking me out—being cast in a huge movie meant that I would be getting more attention in the future.

I was lounging in the bridal suite of the Four Seasons Hotel in NYC, waiting for Kurt and my bridesmaids to arrive with the dress and hair and make-up team. I was listening to a playlist Finn had made me especially for today, when my ear bud was ripped from my ear.

"_Come on! Time to get our blushing diva bride ready!"_ Kurt was jumping up and down and clapping his hands in excitement. He had been waiting for this day since we called him and told him we were engaged 8 months ago. We wanted to take our time and plan our dream wedding, and Kurt wanted to be apart of it. He would not take no for an answer, and since we were both pretty busy with work, we let him hire a wedding planner and work with her. We gave him a budget and told him he had to stick to it. Our parents were contributing this time, plus, we were both making good money, but we didn't want a big wedding so it didn't need to cost that much. We wanted to buy a nice apartment and travel, not waste an obscene amount of money on a wedding. Kurt could save that for his and Blaine's wedding. I'm sure they wouldn't be too far behind us.

Neither Finn nor I had much family, so it was basically going to be our parents and closest friends. Both of Finn's grandparents had died, and his mother was an only child, so really it was just Carole, Burt, and Kurt. My fathers, on the other hand, both had living parents but they had disowned them when they came out and got married, so I've never met them. But, today, I was getting a husband, a mother, another father, and a brother!

I sat in a chair, and Kurt started to tell the hairdresser exactly what I (he) wanted. I didn't really mind though, because I knew he would make me look fantastic. He knew I wanted simple elegance to go along with my dress and rest of the wedding, so he wasn't going to let them go crazy on my hair and make-up.

2 hours later, I was dressed and ready to go get married. Kurt had left about an hour ago to get Finn dresses as he was the best man, and had been texting me, Santana, and Quinn nonstop for details.

"_If he texts me one more time…"_ Santana started, but stopped when she saw my face. I was just as annoyed with him as they were, but I wasn't going to let it ruin my day.

_"It's alright San, let's just turn off all of our phones so he can be surprised like everyone else. He has already been apart of everything, we need to keep something a secret."_ We all smiled at each other and they helped me up so I could examine my whole ensemble in the full-length mirror.

I almost let out a tear when I saw the three of us standing there together. Santana and Quinn were my bridesmaids, and they were both wearing a simple royal blue dress (Finn's favorite color). I let them pick out their own dress style, so Santana was wearing a semi-tight strapless dress that went to her knees, and Quinn was wearing a flowing halter-neck dress that also came to her knees. They looked amazing.

Then I finally allowed myself to look at my appearance. I had on an ivory wedding gown with a sweetheart neckline that had a tight bodice, and then at my waist, it flowed down to the ground. It wasn't poufy or princess-y, it was simple and classic. It had a thin jeweled-belt that accentuated my small waist, but that was the only embellishment on the dress. My make-up was light and shimmery, and my hair was down. It was cascading over my shoulders in large, loose, messy curls, so it would look like it was more natural than overworked. I had to grow my bangs out for the role of Elphaba, so my bangs were long enough to be pulled back loosely in a simple diamond clip to the side. My jewelry was modest, with only drop diamond earrings and my engagement ring.

"_You look so great!" _Quinn said taking my hand and smiling. "_Finn is going to die when he looks at you!"_

I laughed. "_I sure hope that doesn't happen! But thanks! You guys look really good too."_

_"Although I can't argue with you there, I know no one will be looking our way today. You are going to kill everybody with how radiant and sickly happy you look."_ She took my other hand, and like usual, they pulledme along after them. I loved my friends so much, and I had to pinch myself because my life felt like such a dream.

Everything was falling into place, and life was working out for all of my friends. I thought about what they were all doing now…

Ever since Santana accompanied me to the _Wicked_ audition months ago, she had kind of assumed the role of my manager and agent. I had complete trust in her, and was thankful I had someone I could trust in this business. I knew she would always do what was best for me, and she was shockingly amazing at the whole job. She hadn't gone to college or anything, but she was strong and smart, and she could do anything she decided was worth her time. Plus, I think she was really happy that she could have a job that basically meant she could be hard and bossy to others. I always made sure she wasn't too mean because I didn't want to get a reputation as having a horrible agent. She had been a bartender for far too long, and needed to do something she was passionate about, and I was happy I could provide her with that.

Quinn has also done well for herself, as a journalist at Cosmo. She got to put her Yale journalism degree to work, as well as her experiences. She was literally perfect for the job. She had met the sweetest man, Thomas Wallace, at school and they were really hitting it off. Although I thought she might end up with Noah, I realized that he wasn't what she needed. She needed someone who would give her freedom and independence, but also love her unconditionally. Tom was a child psychologist and worked in a really great practice on the upper eastside.

As for everyone else…Artie owned a recording studio in LA, which was getting more and more popular. Bruno Mars and Kelly Clarkson were some of his high profile clients that rented studio time. Mercedes was also working in LA, and Artie occasionally got her chances to record background vocals for the artists using his studio. She was mainly a vocal coach, and was currently coaching contestants behind the scenes on the X-Factor. Tina and Mike were also out in LA, Mike as an assistant choreographer for a Disney channel TV show that involved dancing. Tina was an elementary school music teacher. They had gotten back together last year when they reconnected in the LA.

Sam and Brittany were still together, and were just wandering around the country, carefree. They totally reminded me of hippies, and even though Santana was devastated at first, everyone knew they were perfect for each other. They were just so happy and crazy and funny, no one else could handle them. I think I over heard them at the rehearsal dinner last night saying they were living in Maine at the moment. I'm not sure how they made money, but I have a feeling they didn't really care. They were happy sleeping in tents and eating from the woods, and that's how I knew Santana and Brittany were not meant to be together. Santana had become a city girl through and through, and could never live that life. They were still really close, but they also grew up and don't rely on each quite as much.

Puck was still in Lima, working at a bar, and helping his mom with his little sister. I think he was happy though, and there was nothing wrong with saying in Lima if that's what made you happy. We saw him every so often, as he would come up to go to a football or baseball game with Finn, but we were all pretty busy.

Then there was Kurt and Blaine. They had gotten back together about two years after Finn and I got back together. They hung out occasionally through the years, but still needed time apart. Kurt was successful at NYADA, but decided that he really was more passionate about fashion than singing. He had to quit his job as Isabelle's assistant, but managed to snag an internship with the company for students so it fit his busy schedule. He did that all through college, and when he graduated, Isabelle wrote him a fantastic letter of recommendation for the famous celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe. He got the job as her assistant, and got to attend Fashion Weeks around the world, and dress some of his idols. It was his dream job.

Blaine also got his dream job. He had attended Columbia University, majoring it communication arts. After he graduated, he got a job at the Today Show helping research information before segments. Now, he was a special correspondent for all things concerning Broadway, fashion, pop culture, and celebrities. He was quickly becoming a fan favorite because of his charisma and charm. Both him and Kurt were extremely busy with their careers, but they found time for each other, and they were very much in love.

Although not everything went according to plan for all of us, sometimes, the things that are unexpected are better than the plan could have ever been. All I wanted was everyone healthy and happy, and it appeared that they were.

* * *

The wedding was a fairytale. We got married on Bow Bridge, and somehow our wedding planner and Kurt managed to clear out that section of the park, so there were no strangers watching. It was intimate and romantic, with lots of colorful flowers, candles, and twinkling lights. Since we were getting married at sunset, the air was cool, but nice, and it helped make the mood perfect. Finn was wearing a black tux, white shirt, and black bow tie, and he looked smoking! As I walked down the aisle with my dads, I saw his eyes grow bigger and lustful, and I almost laughed out loud. When my dads put my hand in his, he took it gently and caressed my hand in his. He leaned down and whispered in my hair, "_You are the most beautiful girl in the world. I love you so much."_

I didn't want to burst out crying, so I lightened the mood a bit with a joke,_ "You don't look too bad your self… And I love you too"_

The wedding flew by, but it was magical.

It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. I couldn't think of anything I would have wanted that I didn't already have. We went to the hotel, and ate in a private room that was beautifully decorated with candles and flowers. They served all of Finn and my favorites, and we danced and sang until the night turned to morning. It was literally the best day of my life, and I knew Finn felt the exact same way. Although we would be spending some time apart, we wouldn't really be away from each other. He had my heart and I had his. Always…


	7. No Place in the World That Could Compare

Disclaimer: I do not own glee

This chapter's titles come from "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z

Enjoy!

* * *

**Rachel:**

Our honeymoon was amazing. We arrived in San Francisco and spent two nights there, before road tripping to Santa Barbara. The beach was beautiful and we managed to rent a small cottage right on the water. We slept, ate, swam in the ocean, and had lots and lots of sex. It was exactly how a honeymoon should be—relaxing and full of love.

Our Ten days were up too soon, and it was time for Finn to go back home to NYC and for me to get started on filming. I was so excited to be apart of this project because it was one of my absolute dream roles, but I was devastated that Finn had to leave. I wanted more time with him as my husband, but I couldn't give up this opportunity and he needed to go back to work.

"_Ok"_ Finn said sadly. "_I guess I'll talk to you when I land?"_ He looked so disappointed that he had to leave me, almost like a deja vu to the train station. But this was nothing like that, because we were married and not leaving each other for too long. This was a 'see you later', not 'goodbye, bye forever' type situation.

I hugged him tightly, trying to memorize how he felt in my arms. His flight was called, and he looked down at me. "_Rach, baby, I've got to go. I love you and miss you already. But, we will speak all the time and you are coming to visit in two weeks. It won't be long before you're coming home for good."_ He smiled reassuringly, and gave me a long, deep kiss. He pulled away too soon, and left me there with tears in my eyes, watching his form retreating into the crowded LAX airport.

"_I love you Finn Hudson!" _I yelled when I realized I hadn't gotten the chance to say it back.

He turned around and put his fingers with his new silver wedding band to his mouth, kissed it, and then pointed in my direction.

I stood there for a couple seconds, but then went to the screen to look at the incoming flights. We set it up so Santana would be arriving around the same time Finn was leaving so I wouldn't haven't to come back to the airport for her, or be alone for too long. Since she was my agent and manager, Santana decided it was best to come down while I was filming to oversee everything, but I'm pretty sure everyone was worried about me, especially Finn and Kurt. They knew what happened when I was alone, without Finn, and it was pretty self-destructive and unhealthy. Plus, I'm sure the beach, shopping, and an exciting new environment and hook-up opportunities didn't sound too bad to Santana either.

"_Hey Bitch. Ready to roll?"_ I turned around, but already knew who it was. Only Santana could lovingly call me a bitch. She knew I was wreck so she hugged me, and took the keys from my hand. "_I haven't driven in forever! I'm so driving back to the house!"_

I looked at her a little petrified because she had never been a good driver in Ohio, so I was sure she only got worse from not driving in years. "_Are you sure that's a good idea? I haven't even started the movie yet, and I've only been married for two weeks…"_

She beamed at me and lowered her huge sunglasses to her eyes. "_This will be so much fun!"_

We arrived in one piece to the cottage. I loved it so much that I had decided to rent it for the remainder of my stay in California. Luckily, it was a two bedrooms, two bath home, so Santana and I didn't have to be on top of each other. I loved her, and I had lived with her for three years, but I needed my own space now, and so did she. It was dinnertime when we got there, so we ordered Chinese, and relaxed on the couch, knowing that tomorrow would be a busy day.

" _So, tomorrow you have a meeting with the producers, director, and other actors at 9 am. Then you have a costume fitting, make-up test, and whatever else they have planned for you. I'll be there for the meeting, but I'm really not needed for the rest. I was thinking I would go shopping, and grab us some stuff that we need for the house. Is there anything you need?"_

_"I'll make a list tonight and give it to you in the morning, if that's alright? I need to go through my things and see what I need to replace, but thanks for doing that. I have a feeling tonight will be one of my last free nights in a while, but I'm excited that this is finally happening. I've been waiting my whole life for a Wicked movie, and now I'm staring in it! Ah! This is crazy!" _

"_I know! It's pretty damn cool!"_ Santana said, completely sincere.

We spent the rest of the night reminiscing about old times and laughing about all the funny things that had happened the last time we lived together. This would be fun, and even though I wish Finn were here with me, Santana could make almost anything fun and entertaining. Plus, we had so many friends that lived in California now that I could spend some time with them as well.

The next morning, Santana and I went to my meeting with the director and producers. We met in the board room of the Paramount Studios headquarter, and everything felt so official. Before I signed my official contact, they said they wanted to discuss some things. I was very nervous that they had decided to go a different way or something, but why would they pay the money to fly me down here if they were just going to let me go once I got here. I sat back quietly, and looked towards Santana for support.

"_Rachel, we are so excited to be working with you on this project."_ Said a middle-aged man. I was pretty sure he was the CEO of the studios, so I smiled politely at his kind words. "_As you are well aware, Wicked was first a hit Broadway show but has since finished its run. Because of high demand, we have decided to revive the show and we were hoping once you're done filming the movie version, you would headline the revival. It will not only bring attention back to the great show, but will also serve as wonderful press for the movie. We have had our lawyer draw up a contract that includes salary for the movie, recorded music, and musical. Please, consider this offer, and know that we are willing to negotiate the terms because we truly want you to be our star on both screen and stage."_ He finished his speech and then looked at me pointedly. He then motioned for everyone to leave, and he handed me a large stack of papers before leaving himself.

I looked down at them and then to Santana in awe. "_Did that really just happen? Did they just practically beg me to not only be in the movie, but also the star of the musical revival as well."_

Santana took the papers from me and began flipping through it and reading. "_Don't get too ahead of yourself now, Berry. Let me make sure everything is sound before you start signing."_

I watching and waited for Santana to read the entire contract 3 times. I wanted to scream at her to hurry already so I could sign, but I was glad that she had enough practicality and conviction to ensure the contract was a good one.

When I saw her face turn from one of extreme concentration to one of pure happiness, I knew it was good. She lifted her eyes to mine and smiled hugely. "_Ok, right now they are offering $900,000 for the movie and music for the movie, then, they are offering $400,000 for a 4 month run on Broadway. If once that 4 months is up, and you still want to continue with the show, you will receive $50,000 a month until the contract expires after a year, and then it can be revisited if the show is still running and you want to be apart."_

I looked at Santana like she was crazy. "_Wow"_ was all I could manage. I had been making good money while staring in "Beauty and the Beast", but nothing close to that amount. "_That sounds amazing, where do I sign!"_

_"Hold up Berry! You are not signing yet! Didn't you hear them? They are desperate for you and are willing to negotiate. We need to take advantage of this. Once this movie comes out, you will be wanted in every Broadway show or movie musical from here to Japan, and they will be throwing millions at you left and right. If you sign this as is, you will be stuck doing this show when another show come along and offers you 2 million for 4 months. You have worked so hard to get to this point in your life, and I know its not about the money for you, but it nice to know you're wanted, right?"_

She was right. It felt amazing that they believed in me this much and really wanted me to be the new face of "Wicked". I thought of Finn. This money would help get his dream off the ground, not to mention we could finally travel, and buy a bigger place with room for a family.

"_Ok. What were you thinking? I want it to be fair, so let's think through this carefully. If I took this job for at least 4 months, it would mean I couldn't be in that new original musical that I was interested in. So that would be cause for a little more incentive…"_

_"That's right! I just got a call from the casting agent three weeks ago and she said they really want to meet with you once you were done shooting the movie. That should definitely be taken into account."_

We continued on like this for a while, finding little negatives here and there about the contract that would warrant changes. When were all done, it had been nearly 2 hours, but I felt confident that the contract was fair to both sides. I didn't feel confortable earning more than what I thought I deserved, but filmin a movie and staring on Broadway were hard work, not to mention I was doing them back-to-back. This type of work took a lot of time away from family and friends, so I wanted to make sure if I decided to take a break or even retire early, Finn and I would have enough money to fall back on. Fortunately, the executives at Paramount believed that the terms were acceptable and fair, and we both smiled as we signed on the dotted line. The final contract terms were:

- $1,000,000 for "Wicked" the movie and all music recorded for the soundtrack

- $650,000 for a minimum of 6 months on the Broadway revival of "Wicked". $50,000/ month once 6 month stint was done, and to be revisited if the show is still running and Mrs. Hudson still wished to be involved.

- Pay for all travel/hotels associated promotion for "Wicked" movie

Once the meeting was over, I said goodbye to Santana and followed Joanne, the production assistant, to the costume and hair and make-up department.

"_Here we are, Rachel." _She opened the door and revealed a huge room with costumes everywhere._ "I'd like to introduce you to your Elphaba team. They will be transforming you everyday into character, so I hope you get along!"_ she said laughing. Joanne was really bubbly and happy, and I immediately liked her.

An elegant, middle-aged woman came over to me and introduced herself first. "_So nice to meet you, Rachel. I'm Lo, the costume designer."_ I shook her hand and smiled at her while returning the sentiments.

Then, two young men came bouncing up to me and took me into a bug hug. I was surprised at first by the suddenness, but then returned the hug because I was a hugger too.

_"Rachel! We are so excited to finally meet you! I'm Trey, and this here is Steven_." He said. Trey had bleached blonde hair that was styled in a cool faux hawk, and the man he motioned towards as Steven was very skinny and had shaggy brunette hair. They were both clearly gay and reminded me of some of Kurt's work friends. I knew I would get along with them.

"_Hello, it's so nice to meet all of you. I'm really looking forward to getting to work with you three."_

Lo walked away in a hurry, and I assumed she went to grab the costumes so we could start the fitting. She came back with a whole rack of outfits, and three young interns. I slipped into all of the costumes out in the open for everyone to see, and then they pinned them where they needed to be taken in. At first, I was apprehensive to just strip down in front of strangers, but they all seemed like professionals and made me feel comfortable. Once I was fitted, Lo gently hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks.

"_It really is so nice to meet you, Rachel. I'll see you on set tomorrow."_ She smiled but then walked away in a hurry with her interns to begin work on the costumes. Fortunately, the size I told them was correct and they didn't have too much work to do.

Then it was Trey and Steven's turn. They began to pull me towards the chair and followed behind them. Trey took my hair out from the neat ponytail I was sporting, and Trey began running his fingers through it.

"_Wow! You have fabulous hair! It's so soft, shiny, and healthy! This is a rarity in this business. I feel really baddly that we have to mess with it."_ He looked seriously sad as he said that, and I got nervous. I mean, I knew I had to grow it out longer and loose the bangs, but I figured that was it.

"_Um what do you mean?"_ I was up for anything, I mean it was hair and it would grow back, but I had just spent more than three months growing it out specifically for this project. I would never have let it get this long if I didn't need to. It came down to the middle of my back and had absolutely no layers. In short, Kurt hated it, and I didn't like it either, but I had done it for the part.

"_Oh, we don't have to do too much because it's already really long and straight. We just have to dye it darker, so it's black. But we'll use a really great and sensitive product that won't damage your hair, and it will let you easily go back to your natural color."_

_"Oh, alright, sounds fine to me."_ I said easily. Honesty, I was nervous about coloring my hair so dark, however, I was 100% committed to this role. Elphaba had long black hair, so I was going to let them do what they believed would be best for the movie.

Trey stared at me in amazement. _"Are you serious? Most of the actors freak out and yell when we say we have to change their hair."_

I just laughed at his expression. "Well, it's for the role so…G_o for it!"_

_"I love you even more if it's possible!"_ Steven said dreamily and Trey nodded in agreement.

Then they began the process of changing me from a chocolate brunette to dark, midnight black. I sent three quick texts to Finn, Kurt, and Santana to warn them of the change. I had a feeling one person in particular was going to go crazy.

**Hey! Miss you all so much! Just a heads up…I have to dye my hair black for the role…Love you all xoxo RBH**

I sat back and closed my eyes while they washed my hair and then started to apply the color. About 5 minutes later, I received a text from Kurt.

**WHAT! NOOOOO! Not your beautiful hair color! We will be fixing the mess that is your "Wicked" hair as soon as you're back home. Oh, and I miss and love you too!**

His response was exactly what I expected and I laughed at my best friends dramatics. I had always been known for being dramatic, but Kurt could totally give me a run for my money in that department. I was sure he would drag me to the salon as soon as I got off the plane in NYC.

The next text came from Santana:

**Hope you don't end up looking like that creepy chick from the ring… did you want red or green apples?**

'Thanks Santana', I thought to myself amused. Count on her to make a joke of it and not really care, but it made me happy that she wasn't making a big deal about it. She knew I wasn't that excited about it, and she knew exactly how to make me feel better and not freak out. I'm sure Trey and Steven appreciated if I continued my composure. It was just color after all, and I'd only need it for…Oh I guess I'll need to keep my hair like this for a while now that I'm playing Elphaba on stage too. That's alright, because as soon as I was done, I was chopping my hair and returning to my natural color. I couldn't wait for the day…

Finn didn't text back until almost 30 minutes later, but I knew he had a really busy day today. He had told me he was meeting with some important people today, and had something to tell me later. I was really curious as to what it could be…

**I'm sure you are just as beautiful as always. I miss you so much, but I know you're going to be an amazing Elphaba! Skype when you get home? I love you, Mrs. Hudson ;)**

His text made me smile, and I texted back telling him 'of course'. I was still anxious about how my hair would look, but his text made me feel better. Finn would love me no matter what because I was Mrs. Hudson.

Hmm, Mrs. Hudson…I love the sound of that! I began daydreaming about Finn and our honeymoon, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Steven smiling at me. "_You're all done."_

I timidly looked into the mirror at my new hair.

"_Wow. I didn't think it would look so different since it was already pretty dark, but this really is dark. But, it looks perfect for the role. Thank you!"_

They patted me on my back and helped me gather my belongings. _"Thank you for not freaking out on us! Most people blame us when we are merely following directions." _Trey said beaming at me

Steven chimed in happily. "_And, you can actually pull it off since your skin is so tan."_

I blushed a little, and said my goodbyes. I was really tired and really wanted to go home, eat some dinner, and talk to my husband.

I got home around 7:30 pm, and smelled something really delicious. I wandered into the kitchen and saw that Santana had ordered some Italian food, including my favorite vegan lasagna. I grabbed a plate and started to serve myself.

"_Well, it's not as bad as I thought"_ I heard Santana say from behind me. I looked up at her and grinned a little.

"_We can't all look amazing with black hair like you…Do I look like the creepy girl from the Ring?"_ I said jokingly, as I continued to serve myself.

"_No, you're right. I guess everyone can't look as hot as me."_ She laughed as she came over and filled her plate as well. _"But really, Berry, it looks fine. You don't look like the girl from the Ring. Good thing you have naturally tan skin though, or you would look super Goth and depressing."_

I nodded. "_Good thing. Ok, I'm going to take this to my room and Skype with Finn. I'll probably just call it a night after since I have to be at work at 5 am tomorrow, so goodnight!"_

_"Night."_

Once I got to my room, I texted Finn to see if he could talk. He replied a second later with an enthusiastic response. My computer began to ring and I quickly answered the Skype call. I was suddenly really nervous about what he would think of my hair color.

_"Hey, Baby!" _He was grinning widely and he looked so sexy. He apeared to have not shaved for a couple days, and he was sporting some seriously hot scruff.

_"Finn! Hi! God, I miss you so much. What have you been up to? You said you had something exciting to tell me?" _I couldn't hide my curiosity any more, and I was dying to know what he had been keeping from me. For a couple of months leading up to the wedding, he had been sneaking around having secret meetings and working intensely on his laptop. Whenever I brought it up, he would quickly come up with an excuse about it being for his job. I knew that it wasn't though, because he did not like his work enough to bring it home with him and spend more time on it. I decided to let him do what he needed and tell me when he was ready. I was excited now, because it seemed he was finally ready!

He smiled nervously, and looked down before speaking. "_Ok, so you know how I've been constantly working and not telling you what it was for?"_ When I nodded, he went on. "_Well, I've actually been working on the beginning stages of starting my own business. Whenever we go out to a nice restaurant, I always think about what I would do differently and how it could be better. Then I realized that I could do that. I could create an upscale restaurant with great food, but that also offers a warm and inviting environment. I did some research and found that there really was nothing in the market that provided customers with 5-star quality service and food AND live acoustic music from up-and-coming or already established artists. So, I put a portfolio together and found out that my loan was approved while we were on our honeymoon. I'm am officially opening my own restaurant!"_

"_Oh my god! Finn, I'm so proud of you! You finally have something that you're really passionate about and you have worked so hard to get to this point. It's going to be so successful and great! Love you so much!"_ I was so excited for Finn. He had struggled for a while, trying to figure out what he wanted to pursue, but now here he was! Starting his own business.

I got a little sad, though, too._ "I wish I was there to celebrate with you. You've been here for me every time I get good news, and now I can't return the favor." _I hadn't told him about the contract yet, but I decided to keep it to myself until we got to celebrate his achievement first.

He got closer to the screen, and I instinctually followed until my face was inches from my computer screen. It felt like we were in the same room, and was doing what he usually did when I was upset and he wanted be to listen carefully.

"_You are here for me. I love you so much, and just talking to you and seeing your face makes it feel so real. We can formally celebrate when you come and visit in two weeks, but until then, I can think of a couple ways to celebrate…"_ He was giving me his signature half smile and he winked at me through the computer.

"_Hmmm and what would that be, Mr. Hudson?"_ I asked seductively, as I leaned back from the screen and rubbed my finger over my lips.

"_Oh Mrs. Hudson, I think you know exactly what I had in mind."_ He was licking his lips subconsciously, and I found it hard to resist.

I got up and quickly made sure the door was locked. I heard an angry protest coming from the computer, and laughed at Finn's behavior.

"_Calm down, Finn! I was just making sure Santana wouldn't walk in on our little…ah…conversation."_ I said this in a seductive whisper, and I began to pull my hair out of the loose bun I had put it in. "_You haven't mentioned anything about my hair. Is it ok?"_ I ran my fingers through it as I leaned my head back, and softly groaned at how good it felt.

Finn's breath hitched, and he was staring intently at my exposed neck. "_You look gorgeous."_ He choked out.

I could tell he was getting turned on, and I felt myself start to get hot as well. Was I really going to do this with Santana down the hall? What the hell! She's heard and seen way worse between Finn and I, and I deserve some private cyber time with my husband.

I took the edge of my pink tank top and began to pull it up a little, revealing a strip of my stomach. "_That scruff is so extremely sexy…I wish you could kiss me everywhere with your whiskers tickling my skin as you went lower and lower..."_

_"Mmm me too, Babe, me too." _His eyes were dark as he hummed his reply, totally caught up in the little bit of skin I had exposed.

I decided to tease him just a bit more, so slowly lifted my top over my head. I was wearing one of his favorite red lacy bras that accentuated my breasts, and I placed my hands on my breasts to slightly push them up and together. He was certainly appreciating my lack of shirt, but I needed something in return. "_I think it's your turn to lose some clothing. Don't you think?"_ I bit my bottom lip and twirled my hair around my finger.

He got up and lost his shirt instantly. I began to giggle at how quick and eager he was because it was adorable and so, so sexy.

"_Babe, your giggling is killing me here."_ He groaned with his eyes closed._ "Not to mention the fact that your hands are right where I wish my hands were at this moment. I am so hard just looking and listening to you."_

When he said that, I felt myself get wet and I knew we both needed this. I had never really masturbated before, but at that moment, I was up for anything as long as I got to release these intense sexual desires I was experiencing.

"_Finn…"_

I didn't quite know how to say what I needed, but he understood the look in my eyes.

I slept amazingly, totally spent from the Skype sex Finn and I had. I never imagined myself as the type of person to do that, but I completely got why couples who are apart do it. It wasn't anywhere near as fantastic as actually being with Finn, but just hearing his voice tell me what he would do if he were here made me soaking wet. We had made each other come from almost 3000 miles apart and it was hot! It was definitely something we would be doing often while he was there and I was here. It has only been 2 days without him and I was seriously going through withdraw. Yes, we would be doing that every chance we got…

The first two weeks of filming were hectic but wonderful. I went from shooting a scene, to recording a song, and then back to shooting again. Unfortunately, that left very little time for Skype sex with Finn like I had planned. I was lucky if I got him on the phone, let alone get to see him over Skype. Our schedules were so jam-packed and the time difference was a bitch. I'd get off work around 10:00 pm here, but that was 1:00 am in New York, so it was hard to find a time where we were both awake and free.

He continued to work at Donne Enterprises, but put his two week notice in. So, right now, he had a normal 9-6 job, and then came home to work on his business plan for the restaurant. He had been looking at locations with a real estate agent for the past week, but wasn't finding anything. I knew he was frustrated and tired, but he would never give up. He was so close to his dream. But it also meant we were both crazy busy and sometimes, the only contact we would have was a single text message to say we were still alive. We were alive, but extremely exhausted and missing the other.

* * *

**July 15, 2017**

**Finn:**

The time apart had not gone according to plan. We were originally planning on seeing each other ever other weekend, alternating who traveled, however this did not happen. She flew home to New York two weeks after filming started, and everything was perfect. I picked her up from the airport, took her to dinner, and showed her the location I had just bought for the restaurant. Even though we only had two days together, they were spent in each other's arms so it felt like this could be ok.

Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw Rachel in person. Two weeks after that, I was supposed to go to LA to visit her, but my contractor called and informed me we had rats and termites infesting the restaurant. I really wanted to handle the situation after I visited Rachel, but she wouldn't let me. She said it was important to make sure everything was perfect and running smoothly so I could open as scheduled in October. I knew she was right but I wished she wasn't. The restaurant was my dream, my baby, and I couldn't let anyone else make these huge decisions for me.

We decided that Rachel could fly back home the next weekend instead, so it would all work out. Except it didn't. I got a call late Wednesday night, a couple of days before she was to come home.

"_Hey, Babe." _I answered happily when I saw who was calling.

"_Hudson, it's Santana."_ Santana replied, sounding tired.

"_Oh, why are you calling from Rachel's phone? Is she ok?"_ I was confused and getting a little nervous.

"_Uh well, I mean…she's ok, but she's been really sick for the past week. I took her to the doctor and they said she has walking pneumonia. They gave her some pretty strong antibiotics and put her on bed rest for a week, so that means she can't go home this weekend."_

I was upset. How had I, her husband, not known she was feeling so ill for that long. She should have told me. "_Santana, why didn't anyone tell me? Can you please put Rachel on? I really need to talk to her."_ I needed to hear she was ok for myself.

"_Yeah, sure Hudson."_ She then lowered her voice, as if to make sure Rachel couldn't hear what she was about to say._ "But she's pretty weak and tired, so make it quick."_

I nodded even though I knew she couldn't see me. Then I heard Rachel's voice come through the receiver.

"_Hi Finn."_ Her voice was just as Santana warned, weak and laced with sleep, and I could tell she had just woken up. I felt so badly that she was feeling that awful while I sat at home doing nothing.

"_Hey, Baby. How are you feeling? Do you need me to come down and be with you?"_

"_No, I'm ok. I'm just tired and achy, so there wouldn't be any reason for you to come all the way here when you couldn't do much but watch me sleep."_

I closed my eyes at the sound of her voice, trying to picture her in my mind as I spoke next. "_But I could just lay with you, and take care of you?" _I said it in more a question than a statement. I knew she had already made up her mind about me not coming out there, but I couldn't help but feel useless and like a horrible husband.

She let out a small breath, which meant she was annoyed and tired._ "Seriously, Finn, it's super contagious, so they don't want anymore people exposed to my germs. Santana is basically the only person I can have contact with since she lives with me and is already exposed. I'm on medication, and it will be gone in no time, so stop worrying. I'm not dying, I'm just sick."_

I gave up trying to argue at that point because I really wanted her to get some sleep, and fighting wasn't going to get her better. I made sure to tell both her an Santana that they had to keep me updated with her condition at all times.

She ended up missing 8 days of work, so that meant she had to work late everyday, and work every weekend in order to stay on the production schedule. This, in turn, meant that we wouldn't be able to see each other until she was completely done with filming and came home for good.

So, here I was now. July 16th, 2017. Standing at arrivals waiting for Rachel and Santana. I was so anxious, and beyond excited. We hadn't seen each other in a month, and it was far too long. We were never going to be apart like this every again. If either of us had something that we needed to do in the future, the other would tag along no matter the consequences.

Just then, I saw a bright pink suitcase in the crowd, and knew it was Rachel's. Rachel was one of the only people in New York City that carried such a bright bag. The crowd began to clear, and I finally saw her. We made eye contact for a split second before I jogged over to her, lifted her off of her feet, and kissed her full on the mouth. I didn't care that everyone in the airport saw our reunion because I needed her. She obviously needed it too, because she deepened the kiss and began to run her hand through my hair.

I felt her smile against my mouth. "_I missed you"_ She said it simply, but I knew there were so many emotions coursing through her at that moment.

I pulled away and set her down, but kept my hand on her face. "_I missed you too."_

We couldn't tear our eyes away from each other for a few minutes, but then we heard Santana's impatient groan and knew she was rolling her eyes. "_Ok, you two. Time to get out of here so you can get a room. We don't need the entire JFK airport seeing your eye-fucking."_

We just laughed and I took her tiny hand in mine. "_Man, I missed this little hand"_ I held up our intertwined hands and kissed her knuckles. She beamed at me and added a little skip to her step. "_I missed your big one."_ As we walked through the airport doors, she looked out at the city and took in a deep breath._ "And, as much fun as LA was, I missed this city. It's so good to be back home with you! Now we can really start our married life!"_

I had been slightly worried she would still look unwell and pale since it had only been two weeks since she recovered from her nasty illness, but she looked really healthy and happy. Her skin had a golden glow to it from the sun, and her cheeks were flushed from the excitement of seeing me again. Her long black hair was in a messy ponytail at the base of her neck and she wore her sunglasses on top of her head.

To sum it up, she looked like my radiant and perfect wife. We were definitely going back to our apartment and doing exactly what Santana had suggested…I was so excited to finally start our lives-together in the same state.


	8. Only You and Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. The chapter title is lyrics from "Tonight" from West Side Story**

**Enjoy the Finchel!**

* * *

**May 2018**

**Finn:**

Rachel and I have been married for exactly one year today, and what a crazy year it had been…

* * *

September 2017:

Rachel started her run on Broadway as Elphaba, and most of my time was occupied trying to get everything at the restaurant finished for our grand opening in mid-October. I had struggled to come up with the perfect name for the restaurant, and some pretty horrible ones had been thrown around at our weekly Friday night dinner with Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Quinn, and Tom.

"_How about Frankenteen's Manner!"_ Santana shouted excitedly. We were all a little tipsy because the wine was flowing and we were all so glad to finally be back together again.

"_Or, what about Kurt's!"_ That was obviously Kurt's suggestion, and I just smiled and shook my head 'no'.

"_Guys, this needs to sound upscale and classy, but I also want it to have some sort of meaning too."_

A couple more suggestions of "The Glee Club", "Finny D's", and "Lima Loser" were jokingly yelled out, and made everyone at the table die of laughter.

Finally, Rachel stopped giggling long enough to suggest something. "_What about something like, "Hudson 16? Or a variation of that? I mean, not only is it significant because the address is 16 Columbus Ave, but we all met each other when we were 16…"_ She looked down nervously because the entire table had stopped laughing and were now staring at her. "_It was just an idea…"_

"_No, Rachel,"_ I took her hand under the table._ "that's a really good idea! It has a great meaning, but still sounds like a nice place to eat! What do you guys think?" _I said this as I looked around the table, judging the others' responses.

Quinn was the first to respond. "_I think it sounds lovely."_ She had been fairly quite while we were throwing out ideas, but she looked genuinely delighted at the possible name.

"_I agree completely! I'm just mad the Rachel thought of it first! I can already see the sign and the little logos everywhere! Oh, God! This is so exciting!"_ Kurt said enthusiastically.

Everyone else concurred with the absolutely perfect name, and we all toasted to "Hudson Sixteen", the newest restaurant in fine dinning that offered prime-cut steaks, seafood, pasta, pizza, vegan cuisine, and live, acoustic music.

* * *

October 2017:

Hudson Sixteen opened to rave reviews, and business was booming! I had even been mentioned in the New York Times, Food and Wine Magazine, and had been a guest on the Today Show with Blaine interviewing me. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that the restaurant would do this well, but it was. Something that I created from the ground up was doing amazingly, and it made me feel even luckier than I already felt. I now had a perfect wife that I loved so very much, family and friends who supported me in anything I pursued, and a successful business of my own.

* * *

November 2017:

November was a busy month, but nothing new. Rachel was shining on Broadway, and the excitement over the _Wicked_ movie was at an all time high. It was great marketing for the producers to hire Rachel for both, because people from all over the world were flocking to New York to see the woman who would also bring Elphaba to life on film. I was still busy with the restaurant since it had only been open for a month, and it was still doing just as well, if not better from all the exposure.

* * *

December 2017:

Rachel's movie came out on Christmas Day, so she was traveling all over the world the week leading up to it for press and to attend premieres. She managed to make it back to New York on Christmas Eve, and we celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple. Our parents visited for New Year's and we got to unwind and relax for few days before work went back to being absolutely nuts.

* * *

January 2018:**  
**

This was a particular hard month because Rachel spent most of it in LA for awards season. _Wicked_ had been a huge success, and broke tons of records. Not only had it been the highest grossing movie musical of all time, but it also broke Christmas Day box office records. It was nominated in every major award show (Golden Globes, SAGs, BAFTAs, and Oscars) for Best Motion Picture, Best Adapted Screen Play, and Best Director. Also, three of the actors were individually nominated, including Rachel in the Best Actress category. She was receiving a lot of buzz, and many people believed she would sweep the award season.

I tried to make it to every awards ceremony I could, but the restaurant was still so new, I didn't feel comfortable leaving the country yet. I attended all of the ones in LA, though, and she won every single award. I was so incredibly proud of her because she had been working her ass off to get to this point, and it was nice to know that others appreciated her dedication and immense talents. I mean, she won an Oscar! Rachel Berry Hudson now had an Oscar sitting on our mantel in our apartment…how crazy was that?!

* * *

February, March, and April 2018:

Nothing much happened in these months…just the same old work. That didn't mean we didn't enjoy it, but we were just starting to get burnt out. Rachel had been performing the role of Elphaba, either on screen or on stage, for more than 9 months now and she was exhausted. She had decided that April would be her last month of the show, and as soon as that was announced her remaining shows sold old instantly. Just like her first show, both of our families, and many of our friends attended to support Rachel in her final show. She was sobbing when I saw her after, but I knew she was ready to let go of Elphaba. She needed something new and exciting, but even more important, she needed a break.

I needed a break too. Hudson Sixteen was still one of the most popular restaurants in New York City. We had all types of customers, including celebrities and politicians, which has really raised the restaurant's profile. Occasionally, Kurt, Blaine, Santana, or Rachel would sing a set, or Rachel would invite one of her famous friends come in for entertainment. It was a nice way to unwind after a hard day at work, and the customers really enjoyed it. Mostly, though, I would have up-and-coming artists perform to expose them to the influential patrons of the restaurant. Maybe, one of these days, I would help someone get discovered, and their dreams will come true. That was a goal of mine, anyways.

* * *

May 16, 2018:

So, as I said, here I am, on the one-year anniversary of the best day of my life. I decided we needed to spend some quality time, just her and me, and I surprised her with a month long trip around Europe about a week ago. We were now lying on a beach on a Greek island, without a care in the world. It was about time I delegated some of the responsibilities of the restaurant to my second in command, Patrick. He had become a great friend and I trusted him wholeheartedly to keep the business running while I was gone.

I pushed all thoughts of business aside, and turned to look at my smokin' wife next me. I needed to live in the present, and right now, that was checking out Rachel in her barely-there bikini.

She looked away from her Kindle, and gave me a big smile. "_Hey."_ I knew she was reading _50 Shades of Grey_, and it made me hard just thinking about it.

_"Hey"_ I returned, smiling at her too. She was wearing a tiny hot pink bikini that left little to the imagination, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "_I'm getting a little burnt. How about we head back to the room?"_

She giggled at my wandering eyes, but then slowly dropped her smile and pursed her lips at me. "_I think you, Mr. Hudson, just want to take me upstairs and ravish me."_ She was trying to stay serious as she pointed accusingly, but it wasn't really working.

"_You caught me, Mrs. Hudson."_ I put my hands up, surrendering to her accusation, but then packed up all of our stuff lightening quick, and pulled her behind me as I briskly walked to our room.

I could barely control my urge to just fuck right there in the elevator, but I decided she wouldn't like it very much and I'd end up getting no sex instead. When we got to the room, I dropped all our beach gear, and kissed her hard while pushing her into the door. She looked up at me with a smirk and twinkle her eyes, showing me she was just as needy as I was.

Rachel pulled my swim trunks down and removed my shirt in one quick swoop, letting the shorts pool at my feet and my shirt fly onto the floor. I smiled at the ferocity and quickly stepped out of my trunks. I moaned when she began to gently and seductively pull on the strings holding her bikini top on. I swatted her hands away and did myself, enjoying the giggle she produced. I pulled, and in one motion, her top came tumbling down, revealing her beautiful breasts.

I carried her to the bed as our kisses became hotter and quicker. I laid her on the bed and crawled on top of her, both of us running our hands over every inch of skin that we could reach. While my mouth found her neck, I slowly circled her nipples with my fingers, feeling them growing harder. She let a couple breathless moans escape her mouth in pleasure, "_Oh..oh Finn"_. I just continued my assault on both her neck and breasts, and she writhed underneath me, bucking her hips to meet mine.

I slipped one hand between her legs and fondled her through her swimsuit bottoms. She decided that she needed more contact, so she lifted her hips and started to pull her bottoms down her body. Once completely removed, I returned my fingers to her wet center and relished the fact that she was this ready. I kissed my way down her body, lingering on each breast, before reaching her belly button. I stuck my tongue inside and swirled it around, and then proceeded down to my final location.

I peered up at Rachel from my spot between her legs, and saw her eyes turn darker. I slowly, teasingly, ducked down and began kissing along her thighs. Once I got to her center, I darted out my tug and repeated this process a couple more times. "_Finn! I…I need you…P..please"_

I removed my mouth from her, and made my way back up to her mouth. I sucked on her plump lips and let her taste herself. We were drenched in sweat, and as I hovered over her, she spread her legs further apart, allowing my hard cock to tease her opening. I rested in that position and looked deep into her chocolate eyes, and then I thrusted into her hard, and sank deeper and deeper inside of her. The feeling was intoxicating, and we stilled to get used to the feeling.

Rachel began moving her hips, needing the movement. "_Finn…"_ I began to pull out and then slam into her repeatedly, slow at first but then picking up speed. The bed was rocking against the wall, but we didn't care. Our bodies were coming together at each thrust, and Rachel wrapped her legs around my torso and her fingers dug into my back.

"_Oh!_," Rachel cried into my ear as I sucked on her neck and grazed her G-spot.

I didn't think I could hold on much longer as I continuously pumped her full. "_Fuck" _I whispered because it felt so good.

She gripped my back harder and I could feel her body clenched inside of mine as she teetered on the edge. "_Oh... Finn!" _She moaned as she came apart under me. I pumped into her two more times before I followed her in orgasm, and our bodies relaxed against the matress. I was completely out of breath and I could hear her panting next to me, trying to catch hers as well. We lay on top of each other, sweaty and unable to move.

"_Wow…that was…"_ It was all I could get out at the moment, but Rachel understood and nodded her head slightly. I stroked her long hair and gently massaged her scalp.

"_Hmmm"_ She hummed in pleasure._ "That was amazing. Thank you so much for this trip, Finn. We needed some alone time…"_ We stayed in bed for a while, just talking about random things before going round two…and then three in shower.

The rest of the trip went pretty much the same—utterly and completely great. We explored the city we were visiting for a while, before letting our emotions take control and having mind-blowing sex. We ended up having sex in multiple European cities, like Paris, Nice, Venice, Rome, and Athens, and plenty of little towns along the way. I didn't think I would ever be able to top this anniversary gift, but it was ok because these memories would last forever. Not to mention Rachel took about a millions pictures, so we would have those to look back on as well. I did't know it was possible to love Rachel anymore than I already did, but my love for her grew ever single second I spent with her.

* * *

**Rachel:**

Finn planned the most wonderful trip imaginable, but it was coming to an end. Tomorrow, we would be boarding a flight back to NYC, and as much as I loved home and missed my family and friends, I wanted Finn all to myself. We were currently on the magical island of Santorini, and I never wanted to leave. It was by far my favorite stop on our little European adventure, and I wanted to make our last day super special as a thank you to Finn. We had a couples massage in the morning, laid by the pool all afternoon, and now, we were getting ready to board a large sailboat for a moonlit dinner on the Aegean Sea.

"_Rach…I can't believe you did all of this. It's extraordinary, you're extraordinary."_ Finn's hand squeezed mine as he helped me on deck.

"_Well, it's the least I can do after you planned the entire vacation flawlessly. It was my turn to surprise you, and surprise you I will!"_ I gave Finn a big grin, and he looked at me curiously.

"_Can't wait!"_

Just then, our captain came over and introduced himself in a thick Greek accent. "_Velcome! I am your captain, Omiros Papadakis! So nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Hudson. I hope everything is all right?" _He wasolder, around 50 or 60, and was the cutest thing ever.

"_It looks perfect! Thank you so much."_

We set sail, and cuddled close together while the wind whipped all around us. I hadn't really thought about the wind, and so the short, flowing sundress I was wearing was flying everywhere. Finn just laughed, though, because it gave him a couple good looks at my tiny thong underneath. I just smacked him on the back of the head, but then rested my head against his chest. We sat in comfortable silence as we both looked out over the sea at the various rocks and islands sprouting from the water. I really had never seen anything like it, and it seemed like a fantasy to me.

After about 30 minutes of sailing, we found a nice, calm patch of water where we dropped anchor, and began eating dinner. Our thoughtful captain had gone below deck to give us some privacy, and told us to knock when we were ready to head back to shore. I had brought along some of our Greek favorites, including: bread and olive oil for both of us, and then a vegetable medley drizzled in olive oil for me, and grilled lamb chops for Finn. Our meals were incredible and I was utterly stuffed, so we held off on dessert.

Leaning against Finn's chest, I peaked up at his face and saw that he had this really far-off look.

"_What are you thinking about?"_ I asked him, as I stroked the warm skin on his arms.

His eyes followed my wandering hand, and he smiled. "_Just how I wish we weren't leaving tomorrow…And about how lucky I am to have you."_

He gently reached for my fingers and stopped their slow caressing of his skin. Looking deeply at me with his warm, amber eyes, he pulled my body to his until our noses were touching and our breath mixed. He paused for a split second, and then tenderly kissed my lips with his. His kiss was slow and deliberate, and I felt his tongue press against my lips asking for permission. I parted my lips and allowed his tongue total access to my mouth. I whimpered a bit as he bit down on my lower lip, and then began to sprinkle kisses along my cheeks and jawline.

I shivered, though I was burning up under his touch, and felt the familiar tingling sensation run through by body to my center. While still sucking and kissing my neck, his hand strayed down to my chest to massage my breasts. He began to slowly circle my nipples and they grew hard under his firm grasp. His lips were back on my mouth now, and I moaned into our kiss as I reached for his own hardness and ran my hand along the length through his pants. He gasped in surprise at my sudden touch, but gradually began to grind his hips into my hand. "_Fuck, Rach."_ He whispered in my mouth, and I smiled at my effect on him.

I felt for the button, and when I found it, I quickly undid it before unzipping the zipper too. I broke our passionate kiss and trailed my fingertips sensually down his body. I knelt in front of him, and peeked up at him through my eyelashes—his eyes were dark with lust and want—and I began to pull his pants and boxers down in one motion. His cock sprung free, and it was huge and still growing under my stare.

I took his length in my hand and began to work my hand up and down the length agonizingly slow. "_Rach…faster"_ I complied and my hand moved faster over his erection. I stopped suddenly, and heard his grunt in protest, but simply ignored it and took his considerable size into my mouth. I closed my lips around him and began the same rhythm I had started with my hands—slow at first, but then progressively faster and faster. I felt him shaking above me, on the brink of explosion, and took him deeper inside my mouth. "_Oh, God. Fuck!"_ he cried out in pleasure, and then I felt the gush of his semen in my mouth. I swallowed and wiped my mouth before standing up and placing a small peck on his lips. He collapsed into a nearby chair to catch his breath and compose himself, so I silently sat on his lap and began to run my hand through his messy hair.

With his eyes still closed, he finally found words. _"Shit, Rach…how did I get so lucky to find a wife with no gag reflex?"_ His eyes opened and I saw the glow in them from the extreme pleasure I had just given him.

I laughed lightly, "_I have no idea. It may have something to do with how sexy you are."_ I said, as I kissed his cheek lovingly._ "I just thought you deserved a little something in return for what you did to me the other night…"_ We both smiled at the memory.

"_So, was that my surprise, cause it was pretty great?"_ He looked at me, remembering what I said when we first boarded the boat.

"_One of them…?"_ His eyes lit up as I got up from his lap and walked over to my bag. I grabbed it and brought back over and stood in front of him. "_I wanted to thank you for such a romantic, beautiful, and thoughtful anniversary, so I decided to get you a couple things to show my appreciation." _

I grabbed the first item out of my bag and handed it to Finn. It was a small white envelope, which he ripped open immediately.

His eyes went wide and he smiled hugely. "_Rachel! You got tickets to the Mountain Jam Music Festival?! Foreigner, Styx, The Who, and a bunch of other awesome bands are going to be performing there! I can't believe you got these, they sold out almost instantly and you got 6. How in the world?"_

_"I have my ways."_ I said, simply smiling at his reaction. "_You can take anybody you want. Don't feel obligated to take me since I'm your wife."_

_"Are you kidding! I'm totally taking you because you're my wife. This is so cool!" _He pulled me down on top of him again and kissed me hard.

I smiled as I drew back from his lips. "_Whoa, mister! You still have a couple more presents left." _I stayed on his lap but reached out for my bag so I could get his next present. I pulled out my phone, and his faced turned to one of puzzlement.

"_I already have the newest iphone…"_

_"No, silly! I couldn't actually have your surprise shipped here, so I had Kurt take a picture."_ I pulled the picture up on my phone and then handed it to Finn, watching his face intently.

His face went white and his mouth dropped wide open in disbelief and shock. "_Is this real? It's not, like, doctored or photo shopped or anything?"_

"_Nope! You just recieved the James Beard Award for Best New restaurant in the U.S! I googled it, and it's like the Oscars of food! Babe, you got the highest award possible in the restaurant industry!"_ I was shouting at him in excitement and clapping my hands together, but he was still staring at the picture. "_It's 100% real Finn. You earned it."_ He was still completely awe-struck, so I put my forehead to his and waited for it to really sink in.

"_I just can't believe this…I never even dreamed of all this success, but here it is. People really love the restaurant."_

I kissed him on the nose. "_Yes they do. You put everything you had in to making 'Hudson Sixteen' what it is, and deserve all the accolades that come with. I love you so much" _This time, I kissed him full on the mouth, but before I could get too carried away I pulled back and took out his last present. It was a little black box that had once contained earrings, but was now home to his final gift.

"_This is way too much, Rach."_

"_I know, but when have you known me not to go over the top? Plus, this one is for both of us."_ I handed him the box and he shook it like a little kid, which made me giggle.

"_Didn't you get a pair of earrings in Nice in this exact same box? I'm not sure I can rock those like you can…"_ he said sarcastically.

"_I had to reuse the box. Just open it already!" _I sounded exasperated because I was really anxious for this gift. He could either be really happy or really mad about it.

He removed the lid and found a silver key inside. He picked it up and raised his eyebrows. "_Am I supposed to know what this means?"_ he asked honestly perplexed as to why I had given him a key in a box.

"_No, you're not, but I'll explain. So, right before we left, I went with Quinn and her real estate agent to help her look around at properties. She asked me to come, and I was free, so I thought it would be fun to see what was out there. But, while she was showing Quinn an apartment, she casually mentioned the apartment that had just been put up for sale. We were curious, so she took us up there, and it was absolutely stunning. The building is on the Upper West Side and has views of both the Hudson River and Central Park…"_

I paused and looked at Finn to gage his reaction, but he wasn't giving anything away, so I continued nervously. "_Apparently, last year a couple purchased two large units, one on the 34__th__ floor and one on the 35__th__ floor directly above, planning on making it into one massive family apartment. Unfortunately for them, once they began renovations, they realized they didn't have enough money to complete it and had to put it on the market. However, I thought it was quite fortunate for us…"_ I stopped again because the look on Finn's face was unreadable and it was really scaring me. Was this the worst idea in the world?

"_Rachel, what are you saying? Did you buy this place already?"_ He asked this question with barely any emotion, and his face was blank.

I could feel the tears well up in my eyes and I had to get up from his lap. "_N..no, not yet. This key was just supposed to represent maybe buying it. I just thought it would be a perfect place for a family, and we could personalize it since it's basically a blank canvas. But…but I understand if you're pissed at-"_

"_Rach, I'm not pissed at you, I'm just a little shocked and hurt that you did this without me."_ He interrupted me and came rushing over to where I was standing. His face and voice were finally showing emotion and it looked like he was genuinely hurt that I didn't include him on this really important decision.

"_I'm sorry. I honestly had no intention of finding anything for us. I was with Quinn and she was touring a three-bedroom on a lower floor. We thought it would be fun to see a huge apartment, but once we walked in, I imagined little Finn running all over the place, and I could see us living there…I really am so sorry. When we get back, I'll call Lisa and tell her we aren't interested."_

His face softened and he smiled at me. _"Little Finns, huh? What about little Rachels? Those sound adorable to me._" I laughed because I was grateful he was too mad at me, and still able to tease me. _" I say, when we get back, you show me the place and we make the decision together. Sound good?" _

I nodded my head as I buried my face into his neck. We hugged for a while until we realized how late it was getting, and that we should probably head back. Finn went and knocked on Captain Omiros Papadakis'door, and he came out smirking widely at us. I blushed a bit, realizing he most likely heard what I'd done to Finn earlier.

Like the trip there, the way back was spent in comfortable silence. We were snuggling close and keeping each other warm as the sea air blew in our faces. I looked up at Finn and saw he had been staring down at me with a small smile.

"_What?"_ I asked, shoving him a little

"_Nothing. I was just thinking about little Rachels and Finns, and it made me happy. I can't wait."_ He said this with a wistful smile that made my heart melt.

"_What if we don't? What if we start trying when we get home?"_

His grin got 100 times wider and his lips brushed mine. "_Are you serious? I mean, I was just saying sometime soon. I didn't necessarily mean it had to be right now."_

_"I know, but now would be a great time to start. I don't have a role lined up, plus, it doesn't usually happen instantly. Once I stop taking the pill, it could take months before I actually conceive. How about I finish off this prescription of pills and then I just stop taking it. I still have two months worth of pills left, so if we decide to hold off and wait a little longer, we can"_ I looked up at him through my lashes and saw him still smiling from ear to ear. I took that as a yes, so I began kissing him everywhere but his mouth. "_So we will officially stop trying not to get pregnant in 2 months?"_

"_Sounds perfect to me"_ he whispered blissfully in my ear.

_Until then, why don't we just practice…"_ I finally placed a long, passionate kiss to his lips and poked my tongue in his mouth. He was smiling against my lips and shifted me so I was facing and straddling him. We remained attached like this until the boat came to the dock and our gracious captain cleared his throat.

That night, we went back to the hotel and practiced a lot. Even though we knew we weren't actually making a baby just yet as I was still on the pill, it was exciting to think that we would be soon. We had made it through our first year of marriage, and the next step was a baby. I wondered what the second year of marriage would bring…

* * *

July 2018

It was mid-July, and it was boiling outside. I was out to lunch with Kurt at one of our favorite little cafes. We hadn't gotten to spend much alone time together since I got back from vacation with Finn more than a month and a half ago. He offered to stand in line and order our food, while I saved us a table. It was extremely crowded, so as I waited for him to return, I let my mind wander…

When Finn and I returned from Europe, we formally decided that we would start trying for a baby in September, which was when my birth control prescription would run out. Summer was shaping up to be pretty good to Finn and I. In June, I received a Tony award for my role as Elphaba, and ever since, parts had flying at me from every direction. I turned all of them down, knowing Finn and I would be trying to have a baby soon and wanting to be free from a contract whenever I actually got pregnant. The only role I would even consider looking at were staring roles in original musicals, because it was my dream to earn a Tony for a role I originated. Finn completely understood this and was on board, but we did really need to worry about our baby plans being delayed since all the original scripts I was offered were down right horrendous.

Finn's restaurant was great, and didn't need quite as much undivided attention so we were able find time to look for a new apartment. I didn't want to pressure him into loving the one I had found with Quinn, so I had Lisa show us multiple other ones first. None of them seemed like a good place to start a family; they were too fancy, too unsafe, or too small. Finally, we had her take us to the apartment I had fallen in love with, and Finn was blown away. We knew it was our apartment when we looked out of the large window and saw central park and a beautiful view of the skyline. It was the best of both world, and we would be able to do whatever we wanted since it had been completely gutted.

We bought the apartments (they came together), and Finn took over the construction. He hired a contractor and architect, and I met with the interior designer (with Kurt, of course), so we could began construction as soon as possible. The first floor would be the main living space, with a huge open living plan. We would have the kitchen, family room, dinning room, powder room, office, and guest suite all on the first floor. The second floor would have the large master suite, 3 bedrooms with attached bathrooms, and a media room, which could be converted into a playroom when the time came. It was amazing to think that we could have our dream home in the middle of the city. We were hoping to move in sometime in October if we kept to the schedule.

Because Finn didn't have enough going on (his own restaurant and overseeing the apartment renovation!), he decided he wanted another project to sink his teeth into. Although I thought he was already really busy, I did have a cool idea.

Ever since Santana negotiated my killer deal for _Wicked_, actors, singers, and models have been begging her to represent them. She didn't have the resources to do it properly, so she had to turn them down, and it was a lost business opportunity. So I suggested to Finn that he go into business with Santana, and start a talent agency. He not only had the money and resourses, but he also knew how to start and run a successful business. They thought I was crazy at first, but once they really thought it through, they realized it was brilliant (thank you very much!). They would be co-founders and owners of the business, but Santana would operate the talent management portions, and Finn would work behind the scenes and run the business aspect.

Once the idea was planted, it too off quickly and they already had a space rented, and a name, HLA (Hudson Lopez Agency). I was proud of both of them, but jokingly made Santana promise I would remain her one and only client and she would delegate the others to her employees. She had laughed, but actually promised, saying she 'would have a company to run and would be able to help other bitches'. I was secretly glad I got to keep her all to myself.

* * *

I shook myself out of my daydreaming when I heard Kurt's snapping fingers in my face.

"_Earth to Rachel!"_

"_Sorry."_ I said impishly, feeling bad that I hadn't helped him carry our food back to the table.

"_It's ok, but you've been seriously zoning out this whole time. What's on your mind?" _He asked, as he began to dig into his chicken ceasar salad.

I looked away from his food, because for some reason it was really repulsive to me today. I had nothing against people who ate meat (Finn was a full on carnivore for god's sake), but it was really starting to unsettle my stomach. I tried to think of something else to distract me from the smell, so I answered his question. "_Not much, just the last couple of months, and what's coming up."_

Kurt thought I was talking about which role I would take next, rather than what I was thinking about—a baby. We weren't planning on telling anyone that we were going to start trying for a baby because everyone would be all over us about it and asking a million questions.

"_Ahh, well you're just waiting for the right role. Nothing wrong with being choosey. You are an Oscar and Tony award winning actress and singer after all."_ He smiled at me and winked. He was so excited about all of the ceremonies I'd gotten to attend over the past year since he got to dress me. Every designer had offered me dresses to wear to the events, so Kurt had been in heaven the whole time having so many fashionable options.

I smiled at him to cover up his misinterpretation, and tried to take a few bites of food. I guess I wasn't very hungry, or my salad didn't taste good, because it was also nauseating me. I pushed it away from me slightly, and watched Kurt as he talked about fashion and shopping.

All of a sudden, I got this really sick feeling in my stomach. "_Excuse me!" _I managed to get out before I ran to the bathroom. Luckily, we were fairly close, so I made it to the toilet just before throwing-up my breakfast and what I managed to eat of my lunch. I hunched over the toilet for a little longer, in case I threw-up again but I seemed to be fine. I washed my hands and gurgled some water in my mouth before heading back to the table. I really wished I had my toothbrush so I could brush my teeth, but it wasn't like I'd been expecting to vomit.

"_Are you alright, Rachel? You look pretty pale."_ Concern all of Kurt's face.

I tried to smile, but I still felt pretty bad. "_I think I'm coming down with something. Do you mind if we cut this short, and go shopping another day?"_ I felt bad cancelling our trip since we hadn't gotten to talk much, but I didn't want to get sick in public again.

"_No, not at all. I'm sorry you're not feeling well, though. You should go to the pharmacy and get some flu medicine. Do you want me to come with you?"_

I shook my head. _"No thank you, I'll be fine. I'll just stop at the one on the corner by my building."_

We got up and cleared our places, and air kissed in case I was contagious.

"_Bye, Darling! Hope you feel better." _He said as we parted.

"_Bye, and thanks! We will reschedule soon, I promise."_ I smiled as Kurt lifted his pinkie up to do our pinkie-promise. I held mine up too and we pretended to do it without actually touching so I wouldn't get my germs on him.

We parted, and I rushed off to the store. Once inside I went straight to the aisle I needed, grabbed the box, and then paid and left. Once I opened our apartment door, I saw Finn's head pop up.

"_Hey. Kurt texted me. How are you feeling?"_ He looked worried and concerned. Count on Kurt to tell Finn not even 2 seconds after something happened. I loved him, but Kurt was a total gossip, especially about me to his brother.

_"I'm ok." _I held up the bag I was holding and smiled slyly at Finn. "_Hopefully this will help…"_

Finn peaked his head into the plastic bag, and then looked at me shock. "_Uh, Rach…?"_

I walked past him and into the bathroom, but I didn't bother shutting the door because I knew he was hot on my heels. I took the box from the bag, opened it, and then followed the directions. While I did this, Finn stood in the doorway watching my every move. He had a slight smile fighting to make its way on to his lips, but I could tell he didn't want to get his hopes up yet.

I set the timer on my phone, and waited for it to count down from 5 minutes. I couldn't help but go back to the only other time I had taken this type of test, but this was so completely different. Then, I was scarred and too young, whereas now, I have Finn, who is my loving and supportive husband. I looked up at Finn, and found myself giving him the same hopeful, yet apprehensive, smile.

The timer chimed, and we both kept staring at each other. "_Finn…could you look?"_

He nodded his head and walked into the bathroom to pick up the stick. He held it up to read what it said. He was deathly silent and I couldn't really read the look in his eyes.

"_Do you need the directions on how to read it?"_ I asked curiously, thinking that was why he was delayed in his response.

"_Nope, it's pretty straightforward." _He paused and looked at me seriously, and I wanted to kick for making me wait this long. "_You're pregnant, babe!"_ His serious look faded into one of pure happiness and his voice cracked a bit.

"_Oh my god!"_ I ran into his arms, smiling and crying. I had no clue I wanted to have a baby with Finn this badly, but I kept thinking about a little boy or girl who looked like a perfect mix of Finn and me.

We hugged and laughed (and I cried) in the bathroom together for a few minutes, before walking out to sit on the couch.

Finn looked at me in awe and couldn't keep the smile off his lips. I saw his amber eyes sparkling with happiness, and it melted my heart. He was so excited to become a daddy, and I knew he would be the best.

"_Wow! This is a great surprise!"_ He turned to me and then asked, "_It was a shock to you too, right? I thought you were still on the pill…"_ Even thoughhe was beyond happy, he was confused as well.

"_It was definitely a shock to me too, a great one, but a shock nonetheless. I'm not sure when or how this happened, but, Finn, I'm pregnant!"_ I giggling and leaned into Finn. He put his arms around my tiny form and kissed my forehead. All of a sudden, I was reminded of my past again, and my body went rigid. Finn must have felt my change in demeanor, because he shifted his body so he could see my face.

"_What's wrong, Baby?"_ he looked concerned, and his eyes explored my face looking for an answer.

I had tears in my eyes, but this time, they weren't happy ones, they were scared ones. "_What if I'm not really pregnant? We shouldn't get our hopes up yet, because those at home tests produce false positives all the time. Remember?"_

Finn took both of my hands in his and kissed my nose. "_How about we get an appointment and find out, ok?"_

I nodded in agreement, and Finn grabbed my phone to call my gynecologist for an appointment. He was able to get an appointment for the next day, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. This situation was so similar to the last time I thought I was pregnant, but this time I had Finn's arms wrapped around me instead of Santana's, and I really wanted to be pregnant. I needed to know as soon as possible.

The next day, we arrived at the office of Dr. Eleanor Pope and waited in the waiting room. I loved how calming and nice the office was, and Dr. Pope was literally one of the sweetest people I had ever met. We didn't have to wait long, and before I knew it, I was in the gown and lying back on the examination table. I think Finn and I were extremely anxious to get an answer, because we both realized last night how much we really wanted a baby. Still, we kept quiet just in case I wasn't really pregnant.

The door opened and a cheerful Dr. Pope came in with a clipboard. "_Rachel! So nice to see you again. And this must be the wonderful husband you're always gushing about?"_ Finn smiled at her and shook her hand.

"_Yep, the one and only."_ I said as I gave her a tight smile.

"_So, you took a pregnancy test, it came back positive, and you wanted to confirm the result?"_ She looked up expectantly at Finn and I, and we nodded. "_Well the blood test came back positive, so you are, indeed, expecting."_

She smiled at us, and I burst out into tears. Finn kissed me hard and fast, before whispering so only I could hear. "_I love you so much, Rachel."_ He was back to grinning, like he had been last night, and I was back to my happy tears.

Dr. Pope began the pelvis examination and said everything look healthy. It was too soon to see it on an ultra-sound machine, and she told us we would have to wait until we had our ultrasound at 3 months to see the baby. She calculated that I was about 7 weeks pregnant and the baby's due date was March 12. From that date, Finn and I counted backwards and realized we had actually conceived the baby when we on our vacation, probably before we even discussed trying. My birth control must have gotten screwed up from all the traveling and time changes, but I wasn't complaining. We were going to have a baby!

Finn and I left the office giddy and wanting to tell the world, but we knew it was best to wait until after my first trimester at 3 months. That was 5 weeks away…we could keep it a secret until then, right?


	9. Now It's Us, Now It's We

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. The title comes from "Ben" by Michael Jackson**

* * *

It was actually really difficult to keep the pregnancy from all of our friends and family. Not because we couldn't keep our mouth's shut, but because I was so ill. My morning sickness was 24/7, and it was exhausting. When I wasn't getting sick, I had a headache or wanted to sleep, which made it difficult to go about my daily life. This was particularly a problem because I usually had lunch with the girls (plus Kurt) every Tuesday, and then dinner with the whole group on Fridays, so continuously cancelling on them was suspicious.

I was 10 weeks pregnant at this point, so I still had 2 more weeks until it was safe to tell everyone. Finn was really helpful and supportive, but there was only so much he could do since I was always throwing up. He would clean the apartment, make dinners, and lay with me, but I always ended up in the bathroom with him holding my hair back.

Finn was able to do some of his work at home, but not all of it. He had to oversee the renovations of our new apartment, check in on the restaurant, and meet with Santana regarding HLA. So, at the moment, I was alone in the apartment watching my favorite Disney movie, The Lion King, and eating saltines. I had already vomited four times this morning—It was only 10 am—so I was praying I would keep this tiny bit of food down. I was feeling a little better, so I there was some hope.

In the middle of the movie, I heard a knock on the door, and I wondered who it could be. I slowly got up and walked over to the door. It took a lot more energy than it should, but I ignored that fact. I opened the door wide, and saw Kurt in the hall. He looked me up and down, and was obviously appalled by my large sweatshirt and shorts.

"_Rachel Berry! What the hell are you wearing? You are coming with me this instant and we are going shopping."_ He walked through the door and pulled my hand after him as he went in the direction of the bedroom.

"_Kurt, what are you doing here? I told you was busy."_ I whined, because I did not feel like dealing with Kurt right now.

Kurt was distractedly digging through my clothes while he spoke. "_I am here because I knew you were blowing me off pretending like your sick." _He said this while putting his hand on my cool forehead. "_See, your fine. Now, put these on and we can finally go shopping."_ He threw me a little sundress, and then left the room before I could protest.

I held it up, and looked at it. I guess I do feel a little better, and I haven't gotten sick in over 3 hours, which is a new record. Maybe the nausea is finally coming to an end, and I know fresh air will only help. I haven't been outside in at least a week, so it would be good to get out of the house and think about something else. Maybe I was so sick because all I thought about was the next time I would vomit.

I got dressed and grabbed a light jacket before joining Kurt in the living room. He stood up when I came out, and smiled at me.

"_Much better! Let's go. I heard there is a fabulous sale at Barneys today."_

Three hours later I arrived back to my apartment, surprisingly still in one piece. I had managed to make it through the morning and early afternoon without getting sick once. Kurt got an emergency call from work about fabric getting back ordered, and he was the one that had to cut our outing short for a change. I was glad, though, because I was getting really tired from all the walking around. I hadn't really kept anything down for the past 2 weeks, so my energy was limited.

I collapsed onto the couch and shut my eyes, immediately finding sleep. I was awoken by a strong need to vomit, so I sleepily stumbled to the toilet. I barely made it in time, and once I was done, I slumped to the floor. About 5 minutes later, I felt the urge again. I continued the pattern twelve more times, before weakly placing my head on the tiles and falling asleep again.

This time, instead of vomit waking me up, I heard my name being called loudly. I tried to lift my head, but I was far too weak and tired. My voice was nonexistent, so I couldn't speak up to let them know where I was, but I knew who it was.

Santana stood bewildered in the doorway for a split second before rushing in.

"_Shit, Rach! What's wrong?"_ She looked terrified by my appearance, and began to feel my forehead for signs of fever.

"_So sick…"_ I tried to talk more, but my voice was raspy from all the throwing up. Just those two simple words triggered the feeling again, and I was back on my knees, hovering the toilet. Santana pulled my hair in a ponytail, and rubbed circles on my back. She waited patiently until I was done, and then practically lifted me up and took me to the couch.

"_Rachel, how long have you been in there? Finn said he couldn't reach you and that you were sick. He had a mandatory business meeting, so he asked if I'd come check on you. This is not just sick, Rach, this is like deathly ill."_

I opened my eyes and felt tears in them as I tried to control my breathing and focus on not getting sick. I decided to just come out with the truth and tell her because I didn't have enough strength to come up with a good excuse. "_I'm pregnant."_

I knew she wanted to scream and shout in excitement, but the look of pure misery on my face must have stopped her. She nodded. "_How many times have you gotten sick today?"_

I mentally went through all the times in my head. "_I th..think eighteen" _I was shivering uncontrollably and my mind was getting foggy. I couldn't really see Santana anymore but I heard her sighing, and cursing like a sailor.

"_Rachel, that isn't normal. You –"_ I heard her pause, and then felt far off hands on my face and body. "_Rachel!"_ I heard her panicked voice shout._ "Rachel Berry Hudson, stay awake. Look at me!"_

Those were the last words I heard before succumbing to the welcoming darkness…

* * *

**Finn:**

I really didn't want to be in this meeting right now, but I had to be. I was the one who had made it mandatory to begin with and I was kicking myself for that now. It really was an important meeting regarding the state of both Hudson Sixteen and HLA, plus the status of our huge investments in other companies.

"_At the moment, our million dollar investments in , Nestle, and Walt Disney are profiting big time. However, the investment in Facebook is not looking good at all, so here are-" _Patrick was interrupted in the middle of his suggestion when the conference door swung open loudly.

_"I am so sorry, Sir, but Santana is on the line, and she says it's urgent. Something about your wife…"_ Daniel, my secretary, looked really nervous at having just interrupting.

I got up immediately, taking my things with me. "_I am so sorry, but I need to go. Please continue, though. Patrick can catch me up later."_ I ran out of there without a look back, and went to Daniel's desk to take the call.

"_Hello? Santana what is it? Is Rachel ok?"_ I was in full on panic mode and couldn't control my frantic questions.

I could hear her breathing heavily into the phone. "_She passed out…we are at the hospital right now-"_

"_Which hospital?"_ It was all I needed to hear. I had to get to Rachel as soon as possible.

"_New York Presbyterian"_

_"I'll be there as soon as I can."_ With that, I hung up and ran out of the office to catch a cab.

I arrived about 15 minutes later, and searched the ER waiting room for Santana. I didn't see her, so I walked up to the desk and ask the nurse for Rachel's room number. Once she discovered I was her husband, she told me instantly.

I was jogging through the halls, looking for room 112. When I finally found it, I pushed through the doors and rushed to Rachel's bedside.

"_Hey, Babe."_ I said, looking at her sadly. She was so pale and her eyes were pretty blood shot from all the throwing up she had been doing lately. I ran my hand over her cheek and she weakly leaned into my touch. I turned to Santana, who was sitting on Rachel's other side. "_What happened?"_

"_I got to your apartment and found her in the bathroom, laying on the tile." _She paused for a minute before going on. "_ She threw up eighteen time today, Finn. Eighteen times! And then I couldn't wake her up, and I had to call the paramedics."_ I could hear the anxiety in her voice, and reached across to the bed to touch her arm.

"_Thank you."_ I said simply, because she knew what I was thanking her for. She took care of Rachel, again, when I couldn't. How did I keep finding myself in this position?

Just then, the doctor came in, and both Santana and I sat up right and looked at him expectantly. Rachel just remained in laying bed, eyes shut, and focusing on her breathing so she would get sick.

"_Hi, I'm Dr. Silbert."_ I shook his outstretched hand, and he continued._ "After examining Rachel and looking at her test results, I have come to the conclusion that she is suffering from a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. It is_ a _severe case of morning sickness that causes nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and sometimes, drastic weight loss."_

_"How can we fix it?"_ I asked, glad to know that we had a cause, but still wanting to figure out how to make Rachel feel better.

The doctor frowned. "_There really is no cure, unfortunately. It will go away in it's own time, usually after the first trimester."_ I felt my face fall, and saw Rachel shed a single tear. Knowing that this would continue was really not fun._ "You may go home, but I can not emphasize this enough: Mrs. Hudson, you must eat more and drink plenty of water. You are malnourished from all of the vomiting, but you must still try to take nutrients in even if you throw them back up, because chance are, some of the important vitamins will get in your system. Understand?"_

_"Yes"_ her voice was so small—It broke my heart to know she was feeling so awful and defeated.

Santana helped me get Rachel home and situated in bed. We put a bucket by the bed, and left her to make some dinner since she hadn't eaten a real meal in more than 5 days. I could not wait until her first trimester was over so she wouldn't have to suffer from this horrible condition anymore, and finally enjoy being pregnant. Plus, we could tell our family and friends then too. We asked Santana to keep this a secret until we told everyone, and she promised—I believed her since she wasn't a blabbermouth like Kurt. Only two more weeks…

* * *

The next two weeks went fairly quickly. Rachel still got sick, but rather than throwing up 8 times a day, she was down to just 2-3. I think she was annoyed with me at the moment because I would fuss over everything—I just wanted to make sure she was ok and healthy—but I knew it was killing her to be so needy. I did as much work at home as possible, but when I had to go into the office or restaurant, I'd call Santana since she was the only other person that knew about her condition.

Our three-month check-up was finally here, and we would get to see our baby for the first time. Up until now, we had only heard the heartbeat, so we were both looking forward to seeing the baby. Like last time, we didn't have to wait too long before seeing Dr. Pope, which is just one thing I really loved about her office.

"_Hello, you two."_ The doctor said brightly. "_And how are we today, Rachel?"_

"_Well, I feel a lot better than I did a couple of weeks ago, that's for sure."_ She did look and sound better, and she had her sense of humor back, which I had missed dearly.

"_That's good to hear. I know you've been suffering from HG, and I know how difficult that can be, but you seem to be out of the woods and into greener, less vomit-y pastures."_ She smiled at us, and we both laughed at her words. "_So, shall we take a look at your little one today?"_

"_Yes!_" Rachel and I exclaimed in unison.

Rachel pulled her shirt up, revealing her still completely flat and toned stomach. Dr. Pope squirted some clear gel onto her belly, and began to move the ultra sound wand around. She moved it around for a little bit, before smiling and turning the screen towards Rachel and I. I could definitely hear a really loud and fast heartbeat, but I didn't quite know what I was looking at. Rachel must have been just as clueless because she was squinting at the picture on the screen too.

Dr. Pope laughed at our struggling looks, and began to point at a tiny circular dot. "_I wondered when I learned that you had HG, but this confirms it…you, Rachel, are having twins. This is Baby A and over here is Baby B."_ She was pointing at two little dots now, and grinning at us.

"_W..what did you say? Did you just say we are having twins? Two babies?"_ I knew it was a stupid question, because twins usually means two babies, but I was in shock. I looked down at Rachel and saw tears running down her cheek as she stared at our babies on the monitor. I wiped away the tears with the pad of my thumb, and kissed her forehead. It was real.

"_Rach, babe, we're having twins!"_

_"This is crazy! Do twins run in your family?"_

_"Not that I know of. What about you? Do you think Shelby's family has a history of twins?"_

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "_I really have no idea, but I guess we'll have to ask our families when we tell them."_

Dr. Pope let us have a few private moments while she retrieved the disk and photos. We had requested six sonogram pictures because we knew our parents and friends would each want one. She came back in, handing me the items, and then looked at Rachel more seriously than I'd seen her look since I'd met her.

"_Now, Rachel, you need to make sure you're eating enough. I know you've been very ill, but now that you are getting better, you must gain back all the weight you lost, and more. I want you to gain at least 5lbs by the time I see you next, which is in a month."_

_"Absolutely! I will be eating for three now!"_ Rachel was glowing with happiness as she spoke, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. My beautiful, wonderful, tiny wife was carrying not one, but two babies that were half her and half me. Nothing could get better than this…

* * *

**Rachel:**

Finn and I decided we wanted to tell our parents first, so when we got home from the doctor's office, we called our parents to see when everyone could Skype. It was settled that 7 would be best for both sets of parents, so Finn and I cleaned up the house, had a delicious dinner, and settled down on the couch, itching to reveal our huge news.

We heard the ringing on my laptop first and opened the invitation from my dads. My dads' faces appeared and I almost blurted out right then because I was so excited.

"_Daddy! Dad! How are you?"_

"_We're great, sweetheart. We miss you so much, though."_ My dad, Leroy, said. I knew they really missed me, since I was their only child, and hadn't seen them in a couple months.

"_I miss you guys so much too."_ I paused when I heard Finn's computer ringing and saw Carole and Burt's faces pop up. I smiled at Finn and then we both looked at our parents with wide grins.

We had both of our computers on the coffee table side-by-side, and after all of our formal greetings to each other, Finn began speaking. "_So, we know everyone is pretty busy, but…we thought you guys should be the first to know that we going to have a baby."_

As soon as the words were out of Finn's mouth, screams could be heard from both computers. Carole and my daddy were crying tears of joy, and everyone was laughing and smiling at the news.

"_Oh, I'm so happy for you two. My first grandchild!"_ Carole beamed happily and Burt just pulled her close and kissed her hair, excited too.

My dads were hugging as they yelled out their congratulations. It was making me tear up at all of their loving reactions—I blame my pregnancy hormones.

I finally spoke up for the fist time since Finn told them the news. "_Well…"_ I waited until I had their full attention again before proceeding with the second part of the news. "_Actually, we are not only having one baby, but two…I'm having twins!"_

Their shocked and quiet reactions made Finn and I laugh, and he pulled me for a hug as we watched the expressions of their faces change from complete surprise to utter delight.

The rest of the conversation flew by, talking about how I was feeling and when I was due, and soon it was time to call it a night. I was still pretty tired from all the throwing up I had done earlier on in the pregnancy, and needed plenty of sleep. We said our goodbyes and promised to keep in constant contact and take pictures of my growing belly.

Finn and I headed to our room hand-in-hand, and suddenly sleep felt like it could be put on the back burner for the moment. We were having twins, and we needed to celebrate properly. I was finally feeling like myself again, and that meant I was totally turned on by my crazy, sexy husband.

I skipped ahead of him and walked backwards so I could look at him while he walked towards me. He still had a smile on his face from telling our parents, but as soon as he saw me raising my shirt over my head and giving him a sly grin, his eyes grew darker and his expression became one of desire. We hadn't had sex in nearly a month, and for us, that was like a decade.

"_Tonight, Mr. Hudson, you are totally getting lucky…"_ Just as I said that, he pounced on me and brought me down on the bed with him, kissing quickly along my neck and running his fingertips all over my body.

"_Oh, Mrs. Hudson,"_ I moaned and writhed under his touch and growling voice. "_I do hope so…but, I think I'll start with you first…"_ He unzipped my zipper, and pulled my skirt and panties down in one swift motion. He was painstakingly slow as he made his way down my ready body.

Oh, yeah…this was unquestionably one of the greatest days of my life.

* * *

The next night was Friday, meaning we had our Friday night dinner with our friends. The seven of us, and occasionally eight if Santana is dating some one, always go to Hudson Sixteen at 7:30 to eat and catch up. It is something I look forward to every week, but this week was extra special because Finn and I were going to tell them some big news.

"_Babe, are you about ready?" _Finn said as he poked head into the bathroom.

"_Yep. Would you grab my jacket, and I'll meet by the door in two minutes?"_ He nodded and headed to get our jackets. I looked back at my reflection to finish applying my lipstick. I was wearing a mint-green dress that fit my body and came down to my knees and tan espadrilles. I braided my long, dark hair into a messy braid to the side, and mentally reminded myself I needed to find some time to finally go to the salon. It was still summer and my skin was dark from the sun, so I went light on my make-up. Plus, my skin was glowing from the pregnancy, so I really didn't need too much anyways. I stood back and looked at my full outfit, seeing if I looked like I was having a baby.

"_Nope."_ I said to myself. I wasn't showing at all yet, which I found kind of strange, but Dr. Pope said everyone starts showing at different times. I was about 12 ½ weeks pregnant now, so I was expecting for my belly to just pop out really soon. I felt a change to my body—my abdomen was harder as my uterus expanded—but it was visual yet. She said once I start showing, I will grow really quickly, especially with twins and being so small. I was looking forward to the day I started showing, but for now, I would appreciate my still tiny body.

We arrived at the restaurant a little late (thanks to me), but the staff obviously knew us, so we were immediately seated at our usual table without having to wait in the long line. Everyone was already sitting and chatting when we walked up, and smiled and greeted us when we sat down.

"_Hey! You two are never late. Usually, everyone's waiting on us because someone always takes forever to get ready"_ Blaine said this while directing his stare at Kurt.

Kurt rolled his eyes and kissed me on both cheeks. "_I don't know what you're talking about."_ Everyone chucked because Blaine was right, we were never late. Actually, we were almost always the first couple to arrive, but we had been a little busy earlier…I was certainly not sorry for the reason why we were late.

Finn smiled at me, and said, "_Yeah, well Rachel was a little distracted."_ I shoved him playfully for bringing up why we were really late in front of our friends.

"_I was doing.. dishes"_ I said lying. Although all of our friends had complete and full knowledge of our passionate sex life—most of them having unexpectedly and unhappily witnessing it for themselves—but we were at dinner and I'd prefer to not talk about that here.

The table gave us knowing smiles, but let it go and continued talking about whatever they had been before we arrived. Once we had all ordered, I squeezed Finn's leg under the table to signal to him that now was the best time to tell them our announcement. He grinned widely, and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

With all eyes on us, I began to talk. "_Guys, I have a little announcement…"_ everyone's eyes lit up with anticipation, thinking they knew what I was about to tell them. Santana gave me a secret smile, and I returned it, because even she had no clue what I was about to say.

"_Last week, I got a call from three extremely talented and successful playwrights, Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. They wrote the 'Book of Mormon' and 'Avenue Q', and wanted to meet with me about possibly working with them on their next project. Well, we met this morning and they asked if I would not only star in their next musical, but also help write the music and contribute to the storyline. Apparently, they saw me in a showcase at NYADA and have been keeping an eye on me ever since. They saw all of my interviews where I talked about being apart of Glee club and being an outcast, and were inspired by my life. They want to write a musical loosely based off of it…."_

I took a second to catch my breath because I was talking really fast. I saw that all eyes were still trained on me, waiting for me to continue, so I did. "_It won't be completely biographical because they need more comedy and drama, but the premise will be fairly close to what I lived through…So I was wondering what you all thought about it?"_ I watched everyone's faces to see if there was any anger or anything, but didn't see any.

"_Wow, Rach, that's awesome! Those three are geniuses and I can't wait to see what they do!" _Blaine was the first to break the silence, as normal, and I gratefully smiled at him.

_ "Oh, Rachel! I'm so happy for you! You'll get to do all the things you really love and put it into an original project. I think it's wonderful."_ Quinn was smiling widely and she took me into a hug since she was seated next to me. Tom was smiling too, and gave me a thumbs up, which made me laugh.

I turned to Kurt and Santana to get an answer from them, but their faces weren't giving anything away.

"_You two are awfully quiet. Be honest, what do you think?"_ I really did want honesty, but I was a little nervous about what they would say. When you told either of them that they could be completely honest, it was brutal and I almost always ended up in tears.

"_Honestly, as both your agent and friend, I'm unbelievably proud of you. I think this will literally be the best thing that you will ever be apart of, and it will make you so happy."_ She came over and hugged me hard, whispering in my ear, "_I will want to see the contract later"_ I grimaced a little at her biting tone, but knew she wasn't really that pissed. The contract would snap her out of that mood real quick, since it was hugely generous for both her and me.

Once again, I turned to Kurt for approval and all pairs of eyes followed my gaze. Kurt huffed a bit, but then his lips broke out into a large smile. "_I'm proud of you, little diva, really, seriously. But I don't know what they are thinking…your life is pretty dramatic and comedic as is. They don't need to make anything up!"_ I pulled out of the hug he had taken me in and looked at him sternly as I smacked his head.

"_My hair!"_ He shrieked.

The entire table burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter at his frantic reaction to my barely grazing his perfectly coifed hair.

"_Thank you guys so much for being supportive." _I said when the noise of laughter quieted down. "_But Kurt! You scared the shit out of me by taking so long to respond. I thought for sure you would be the first to speak up."_

Kurt shrugged as he went back to his seat. "_Honestly, I was a little disappointed. I thought you were announcing that you were pregnant or something."_

"_Well_, _I am."_ I said simply as I sat down. I had looked over at Finn for a moment, but he was looking at our friends' reactions and cracking up.

Kurt, Blaine, and Quinn were sitting open-mouthed staring at Finn and I, but Santana was merely grinning since she already knew. I wanted to make her just as shocked as the rest, and apparently Finn wanted to as well because he said just as calmly, "_Oh, and it's twins."_ That little fact made Santana's mouth hang open with the rest, and even Tom looked pretty shocked and he was usually so stoic and unfazed by everything.

I picked up my fork and began eating the food that had just been put in front of me because this was just too much fun. Finn and I continued on like what we had just said wasn't the biggest news ever and was comparable to talking about the weather.

This time, Blaine was not the first to respond, but instead, it was Kurt. "_Holy shit! Holy mother of freakin' pearl, are you serious?!"_ His face was priceless, and his voice growing louder at each word. People had begun to look over, so I put my finger to my lips.

"_Shhh. Yes, Kurt, I'm being 100% serious right now. I am three months along, and due on March 12th, 2019."_

_"Oh my god! I'm going to be an uncle! Congratulations! I love you both so much."_ He got up again and came over to hug both of us.

"_Thanks, man"_ Finn said as he hugged Kurt. "_We are just a tiny bit excited"_ He winked at me and smiled as he said that because it was like the biggest understatement of the world.

Blaine came over and pounded Finn's knuckles and hugged me super tightly. "_I can't believe it! I'm so, so happy for you guys. This is amazing…"_ He was giddy and jumping as he said these words, and it was adorable how ecstatic everyone was. Quinn was now hugging me and crying, which only made me cry, since I now cried whenever anyone else did—it was a huge problem, but just part of being pregnant I guess.

"_Rachel, I..I'm so excited for you."_ She was able to get out through her tears.

I nodded and hugged her again before releasing her and smiling through my own happy tears. "_Thanks."_

Santana was still seated and her face had gone pale. I walked over to her and sat down on the empty chair next to her, forcing her head my way so she would look me in the eyes. "_Santana, are you ok? This really shouldn't be such a shock. You already knew I was pregnant…"_

As soon as those words were out of my mouth, I regretted saying them.

"_WHAT?!"_ I turned towards the shrieks, and saw both Quinn and Kurt with their arms folded across their chests, and upset looks on their faces.

"_Guys…Please don't be mad with me. I was practically dying, and Santana took me to the emergency room. It was too soon to tell anyone, but I had to let her know so she could tell the doctors."_ I pleaded with my puppy dog eyes, hoping it would work on them like it usually did. I saw a crack in their façade and knew they understood.

They nodded, but still looked a little upset that they hadn't been the first one that knew about it. I turned back to Santana and rolled my eyes, because she was being ridiculous. "_Santana! Snap out of it!"_

She flinched at my little slap across her face. "_S..ssorry. I'm just..Berry, you have two babies inside you right now…it's just so hard to believe. You're just so tiny..how will they fit in there? They'll crush you!"_ Her eyes were glistening, and she genuinely looked baffled that I could carry two babies.

I chuckled. "_Yes, San, there are two little people growing inside me this very second. And I have no clue how they are going to fit, but my doctor assured me they will, so don't worry about it too much. Just be happy, Ok?"_ I found it funny that she was the one freaking out about how they were going to fit in me, and I was the one reassuring her. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Also, I know she loves me, but she usually doesn't get so emotional and show it.

She cleared her throat and whipped the moisture from her eyes. "_Yeah, Ok..."_ She slapped my butt as I got up and went in for a hug. "_Get your soon-to-be fat ass back to your seat and eat."_ She smirked her signature smirk, and slapped my ass as I grumbled angrily at her slap across my bitt.

The remainder of dinner went smoothly. We talked about my play, and everyone wondered how I was going to be a star of a musical if I was pregnant with twins, but I assured them it took a long time, years even, to put together an entirely new musical from start to finish. This would be perfect because now I would be able to take it easy during my pregnancy, but still work on the music and lyrics, and attend meetings about the production.

The talk also turned to the trip we were all taking next weekend. The Mountain Jam Music Festival started Friday night, and Finn had invited the two other couples. Santana wasn't really into the bands, and had a lot of work to do for the agency, so she wasn't too bummed about missing out.

"_Rachel, are you still going?"_ Blaine asked curiously.

I felt Finn's eyes on me, but ignored his insistent stare. This had been a particularly sore subject the past couple of days because Finn had assumed I would not be going since I was pregnant.

"_Oh, I'm still going. I'm pregnant, not dying. I can still do most of the things that I used to do before, except drink."_

Finn let out a harsh breath and everyone directed their attention on him. They could clearly see he was unhappy with my decision. "_Rach, I don't think it's a good idea. You know these concerts can get pretty crazy. It makes me really nervous"_ His amber eyes were serious as he said this.

"_Finn, we talked to the doctor and she said it was perfectly fine, and would actually be good for me to get back to doing my normal activities. I've been holed up in our tiny little apartment for more than a month throwing up non-stop, and I would like to have some fun!"_ I was glaring at him sternly, and had raised my voice towards the end of my argument. I was frustrated that he was treating me so differently just because I was pregnant. I still had six months until the baby arrived, and if he was going to be like this the entire time, I think I would gouge his eyes out.

He nodded slightly and conceded. "_I guess she did say it would be fine…But please stay with me so I can make sure your safe?"_

I leaned over to him and kissed his lips slowly. "_Always."_

The five other people at our table groaned in mock disgust at our disgustingly cute PDA, and we just egged them on my making-out for another half minute.

Finally, Kurt pulled me out of our little bubble. "_Rachel, we will need to go shopping! I'm not sure how much longer you will have you cute little figure, but we should take full advantage of it at the concert. Then, we will get you the most fashionable maternity clothes ever. I cannot, in good conscious, allow you to look like a blind cow while pregnant with my nieces and/or nephews."_

_"Sounds good to me. Every time we try and go shopping, we always get interrupted, so this time, we are really doing it, ok? Are you three available on Thursday afternoon?"_ I asked Kurt, Santana, and Quinn. They all nidded their heads, 'yes', and we made plans for next week.

Over all, dinner was a success and everyone knew. By the time I checked my phone in the taxi back to our apartment, I had a text from Tina and Mike, Mercedes, Sam, Artie, and the Schuester's. I turned towards Finn and saw he had the same messages. We both smiled and muttered "Kurt" under our breath, because he was surely the one who had told everyone else. It was fine by us because telling people was kind of getting exhausting.

We went home that night and had amazing sex…I don't know what has gotten into us, but we have been having sex like it's nobody's business. I'm not complaining, but my body is a little sore. 'Oh well', I thought to myself. Finn can just massage me…naked. I smiled and sighed thinking about how nice it would feel.

* * *

On Thursday, I slipped on skinny jeans, a tank-top, and sweater, and kissed Finn on the cheek.

"_Bye! See you later!"_ He smiled at my enthusiasm. I was very excited to be spending some quality time with my best friends and couldn't contain it.

"_Bye Babe!" _he returned, but I was already out of the door and in the hallway.

I made my way inside Bloomingdales, where we were meeting, and immediately saw Santana and Quinn browsing through the shoes.

"_Hey girls!"_ I gave them each a hug, and they too smiled at my extreme eagerness at this little outing.

"_Hi Rach. You look more thrilled than you should be. You do realize Kurt is going to be dragging us all around town the entire day, right? You usually don't really enjoy this."_ Quinn said, skeptical at my happy disposition.

I chuckled, as I picked up a pair of boots. "_I know, but I realized that in a few short months, I won't be able to just go out and shop with you guys this easily. I'll have two newborns who will need all my attention, so I want to take advantage of this while I still can. Not that I'm not thrilled to be having twins, because I am, but it will be a lot more work just to get out of the apartment."_

"_Don't worry, Berry. We'll drag your ass out of the house, and make sure you see the light of day. You'll need some time for yourself, or you will go absolutely batshit cray cray"_

Quinn and I giggled, but nodded because she was right. I would need these little girls days for my own sanity.

"_Hey! No time for laughing! We have some major shopping to do."_ Kurt said, coming up behind me and hugging me from behind. Then, he took my hand and pulled me to the women's section to get started.

* * *

We were currently at a cute little boutique, and I was looking through the racks for something to try on.

"_What do you think?"_ Quinn asked, as she came out of the dressing room in a beautiful yellow eyelet sundress. It came down to right above her knee, and had wide straps that crisscrossed in the back, but somehow managed to look sophisticated and sexy at the same time.

"_Oh! Quinn, it's perfect for this weekend. Maybe get a cool jacket and some funky jewelry, and we will fit right in with the crowd."_ I smiled at her because it really would be perfect for the festival. The music wasn't exactly our style, but our respective others loved the bands playing, and we knew some songs because of glee club.

She went back into the dressing room to change into her own clothes, and Kurt came barreling into me and began pushing me to a room. "_Come on! I have something for you to try on that would be stunning for the festival."_

I complied and let him push me into the open stall. He hung up the clothes, and then stepped out so I could change. Usually, he just stayed in the dressing room with me, but he ran out, calling behind him that he was going to keep looking.

I picked up the garments and my eyes went wide in horror. He did not expect me to put this on! It was tiny, and even though I wasn't showing yet, this was way too revealing. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and at least tried it on. I knew he would make me come back in here and put it on himself if I didn't come out in it, so I took off my clothes and put it on.

"_Rachel, darling, are you finished yet? I want to see it on you!"_

I slowly opened the door and peered my head out while the rest of my body remained inside, covered. "_Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, what the hell were you thinking? I'm pregnant!"_

He opened the door wide and yanked me out. He had a satisfied grin on his face and called the others over to leer at my outfit.

"_You look like the sexiest mom-to-be I've ever seen."_

"_Kurt…you can't be serious!" _I looked at him incredulously, and then looked at myself in the full-length mirror_._ I was wearing a high-waisted, flowing white skirt that came to the middle of my thigh. This part, I had no problem with at all because it was something I would pick for myself, however, the top was another story. It was one of those tiny half shirts that shows your mid-drift. It was hot pink, and stopped at the bottom of my ribcage and pushed my breasts up in a flattering way. It was totally not appropriate for a pregnant woman to be wearing.

"_Woah, Berry! You look hot! I still can't believe you have twins inside you right now. I say, if you can still rock it, you should go for! I mean, soon enough you will be waddling around everywhere, looking like a beached whale."_

I glared at her. "_Thanks, I think, but I just don't think I should wear this while I'm pregnant. I'm sure Finn would love to see me like this, but not while carrying our babies."_ I looked at Quinn for support, and she understood my pleading eyes.

"_I agree with Rachel. Plus, she probably won't even be able to wear that by next week, so it would be a waste of money."_ I smiled at her, but got a little sad thinking that my body was going to go through a dramatic transformation very soon and very quickly.

I looked at my reflection once more, and then turned to Kurt's frowning face. "_I really like this skirt though, and it's flowy, so I might be able to wear it longer_. _Can we just find a more modest top?" _

He pursed his lips at me, but turned on his heel looking through the racks again. He came back a second later with a slight grin pulling at his lips. "_Here. Although I still stand by my first choice, I do see how it would be slightly weird to be baring your belly to the world, even when it's still flat and nonexistent."_

I took the top, changed, and then stepped outside to examine my new shirt with the old skirt. "_Much better! It's still pretty sexy and fits in with the occasion, but it not showing my bare stomach."_

We each left the boutique with bags in our hands, and we were winding down from our marathon shopping spree. We had been at it for more than four hours, and all of our feet were killing us from walking all over the city.

"_I could totally go for a foot message right now"_ Santana said, and we all groaned in agreement.

Just as she said that, we passed a salon and day spa. I stopped in my tracks and looked through the windows.

"_What the hell! You can't just stop in the middle of the side walk!"_ Santana shouted as she ran intomy back.

I just pointed, said, "_Sorry, but you just said you would love a foot massage…what about a pedicure?"_

All three of their heads followed my point and gaze and smiles found their faces as well.

"_Perfect! Let's go!" Quinn yelled at us, as she walked into the building._

We were warmly welcomed by a redheaded receptionist, "_Good afternoon. Welcome to the Besu Salon and Day Spa, my name is Trisha. How can I assist you today?"_

_"We were wondering if it was at all possible to get pedicures? We don't have appointments…"_

She looked at us, and then down to her computer. "_Well, we have one nail technician in right now, so it may a while. If any of you want a wax, blowout, haircut, and/or color, we do have stylists available. We are pretty deserted today since it's a long weekend, and a lot of people have already left the city."_

We looked at each other, debating what we wanted to do. I thought for a second and then turned to look at Trish. "_A haircut and color would be fabulous."_

She smiled at me and then looked down at her computer to see who was available. "_Donovan Besu, the owner, is actually available if you'd like to see him."_

_"Great!"_ I said cheerfully, and then turned back to look at my friends. They were smiling at me.

"_Thank God you chose to get your hair done because I need my feet rubbed pronto!."_ Santana said happily.

Quinn stepped passed me and spoke to Trisha. "_I think I'll get a haircut as well."_ Trisha said Kelly, another stylist, would be doing her hair, and told us they would be right out to take us all back.

After only about five minutes, four people came out and called our names back. Trisha was right, the salon was dead, but it was really nice and luxurious, and I could tell it was usually really busy. We got to end our wonderful girls day out putting our feet up and gossiping—our two favorite things to do together.

"_Good afternoon! I'm Donovan Besu."_ A 30-something blond said to me as he motioned for me to sit down in his chair.

"_Nice to meet you. I'm Rachel"_ I gave him my hand and he took it with a huge smile on his face.

"_Oh, I know who you are. Wicked is my all time favorite musical, and I loved you in both the play and movie. You are the just most talented person."_ He was gushing and his eyes were huge.

I smiled back at him and thanked him for his kind comments. He placed a black smock around my neck, and pulled my hair out of the low bun I was sporting. "_So, what did you want to do with your hair? Cut and color?"_ He was running his hands over my very dark, very long hair as he said this, and I knew immediately what I needed.

"_Yes, cut and color please. I swore to myself, and my best friend Kurt, that I would get rid of the 'Wicked' hair as soon as I was done playing Elphaba, but I've been really busy since I ended my run in May."_ Kurt was putting his feet into the whirlpool and waving to me with a smile on his face. He was listening intently at my consultation with Donovan because he really wanted to see my hair change.

_"I really just want to chop it all off and go back to my natural chocolate brown color."_ I said honestly. It came down way past my breasts—to the bottom of my ribs, more than half-way down my back—and was beyond annoying. It had gotten to the point that I wouldn't wear my hair down anymore because I didn't know what to do with it. I was just long, with no style whatsoever, and it was just easier to throw it up in a pony or messy bun instead of try and look somewhat decent.

He ran his hands threw it a couple more times, and then looked up at me with a sparkle in his eyes. "_Do you trust me? I know we just met, but I have a vision, and think it will look stunning on you."_

I looked into his eyes through the mirror and decided that I did trust him. "_Yes. I'm so sick of this hair that I'm pretty much up for anything."_ I was thoughtful for a second, and continued._ "Although, I really love it when my husband plays with my hair, so as long as he will be able to do that…have at it!"_

He turned me around in the chair so I was no longer facing the mirror, and instead looking at my friends. "_Let's make it a surprise!"_

I was a little nervous when he said that, but pushed the butterflies out of my stomach and went with the flow. I usually like to be in total control, but when I saw all of my friends' happy faces because I was finally changing my hair, I knew this was the right decision.

He pulled my hair back behind me back and grabbed his scissors. I was confused because usually color is applied first, and then they cut the hair once it was washed and still wet. He saw the look on my eyes and explained. "_I'm going to cut a bit off now, so we don't waste the color on hair that will be gone anyways. Then I'll apply the color, wash it out, and start really cutting it into a style"_

He asked me to stand up so he could cut it easier—that's how long it was! If I were sitting, it would be way past the back of the chair. He gave me a reassuring look, and said, "_Ok, it will look like a lot, and it is, but just remember that it will look amazing once I'm done."_ He looked down, took his sharp scissors, and began to cut my hair in a straight line across my back. I saw hair fall to the ground, and closed my eyes. It was a lot of hair, but I knew that I still had a lot left. He had cut about six inches off, but I bet if you measured my hair before, from root to tip, it would have been, like, twenty inches.

Once the initial cut was made, I relaxed and enjoyed the downtime with my friends. Kurt and Santana were across from me getting their toenails done, and Quinn was next to me getting her hair done. Quinn had decided to go a bit shorter, similar to her haircut at nationals junior year, and was currently getting some blonde highlights. I texted Finn and told him I would just meet him at the restaurant for dinner. He had been curious what was taking so long, so I sent him a picture of all the dark hair on the floor. His text back was hilarious!

I was cracking up at his text, and everyone wanted to know what he had said. "_What the heck did my brother say back?"_ Kurt asked with a smirk on his face.

"_He said: 'um is that your hair?', and I replied with a smiley face, and the he said, 'o, ok I guess I'll see you at dinner…will I be able to recognize you?'"_ Everyone started laughing because it was soo Finn. He was clearly freaking out about my haircut, but wanted to seem supportive and fine with whatever I came home looking like.

Now, Kurt and Santana were having fun with him, and texting him scary messages, like 'I hope you didn't like Rachel's hair', 'there's not much left now…', and my favorite from Santana, of course, which said, 'your wife looks more like a lesbian than me now'. I felt a little badly for Finn, so I sent him a quick text telling not to worry, and that I loved him.

Trying to change the topic, I began talking about the festival, which we were leaving for tomorrow. We were talking about that for a while as I sat under the drier so my color would dry faster, but then the topic changed to the babies.

"_So, do you have any guesses as to what you're having?"_ Quinn looked at me excitedly.

I smiled at her as I wistfully thought about the twins. "_I really have no clue. One minutes I'm totally sure it two girls, and then the next I'm sure they are boys. Right now, I feel like there is one of each…so I guess that's not really helpful since that is every combination."_ We all laughed at my indecisive answer. "_I know it's cliché, but I really do just hope they are healthy. It's kind of scary to think of all the things that can go wrong…"_ Finn and I had been reading baby books at night, and some of the stuff in them was pretty unnerving.

Quinn looked at me sincerely, and said, "_I'm sure you'll be just fine, and the twins will be beautiful, healthy, and insanely talented."_

"_I agree! Those kids are going to be good at, like, everything. I mean, you are freakishly smart, a good dancer, and a phenomenal singer and actress, and Finn is really athletic, a great musician, and really smart as well. Not to mention they will have the three of us."_

"_Oh, man. These kids are going to be beyond spoiled, aren't they?"_ I laughed a little, looking at my best friends, but I was also worried—I didn't want to have uncontrollable monsters for children.

"_They will be completely and utterly spoiled, but we will make sure they are grounded. We don't need them to become you sophomore year."_ I stuck my tongue out at Kurt, but then made them pinkie swear they would let my kids be selfish and obnoxious, and they all promised.

"_So, will my kids have any friends to play with…?"_ I asked coyly, watching each of their eyes bulging out at the directness of my question. I couldn't help it! I wanted to know if I my kids would be best friends with my best friends' kids.

"_No way, not from me."_ Santana shrieked. I kind of figured, not because she doesn't have a significant other at the moment, but because she is more of the cool, crazy aunt who will teach my kids about sex and how to sneak out of the house , rather than the mom-type.

I looked at Kurt next, and he gave me a small smile. "_Well, Blaine and I actually talked about it when we got home from dinner the other night. I think we are both extremely happy in our careers and personal lives right now, and don't really feel the need for a child. I don't think either of us ever dreamed of having a baby, so I guess it works out that we found each other. But, we are ready and up for being the best uncle duo that ever lived, so feel free to call us as babysitters anytime…well, maybe not anytime, but you know what I mean." _

I shook my head at him, but laughed too. "_I completely understand. Some people just never dream about having kids, and they end up being the best aunts, uncles, and role models ever. The only family I had growing up, other than my fathers, was my great aunt Clara, and she was my only friend until 8__th__ grade when she passed away. I am so happy that my children will have so many people who will love them like that."_ I began to feel tears in my eyes, and laughed at myself. "_Fuck these damn hormones! I'm happy! I don't know why I'm crying!" _

They laughed at my use of two swear words in one sentence, because I rarely swear when I'm sober or not having sex, so saying two was pretty out of the ordinary. I blamed it on the hormones again.

Quinn grabbed all of our attention when she spoke up to answer my question about if any of them giving my children a playmate. "_Tom and I talked the other night too, and we decided that we want to start trying. Well, actually, we already started."_ She smirked.

I started to cheer as Donovan laughed and checked the color under the foils. "_Aw, really? That would be so cool if we had babies around the same age!"_

"_I know, right? We have been together for almost four years, and aren't planning on getting married, so why not take the next step. I won't say never to marriage with Tom, but at the moment, we are perfectly content being loving and committed partners."_

I nodded understandingly. I never really saw Quinn and Tom getting hitched—they weren't the marriage type—but I did see them staying together for forever. They had a special commitment and bond that I've never seen Quinn have with anyone else. They were both thoughtful and smart, and Tom complimented Quinn's occasional wild side. In short, I was really excited they were going to try for a baby!

Donovan had deemed my color complete, so he washed my hair and I sat down in the styling chair once again. "_Ok, so now comes the fun part."_ He began to comb out my hair into a part to the side and took the scissors from his tray.

Kurt was done with his nails by now, and was sitting in the chair directly across from me since I was still facing away from the mirror. "_Donovan, you have no idea how badly I've just want to cut her hair in her sleep."_ I looked at him semi-shocked, but I wouldn't put it past him since he had a key to our apartment.

On his part, Donovan just chuckled. "_It was really long.,,but not for long. Let the cutting commence!"_ At those words, everyone cheered, including me.

I had no clue what he was doing, but every pair of eye was on my hair. I could hear the constant snips of the scissors on my hair and feel him picking up sections, but it gave nothing away.

Donovan pulled me out of my thoughts when he asked me: "_ What do you think of bangs…?"_

I looked at my three friends out of the corner of my eyes, and saw them trying to hold in giggles. "_I actually had bangs for, like, years. They were kind of my signature thing since junior year, but I had to grow them out for Elphaba. So, to answer your question, I love bangs and would not be opposed to having them again."_

He bent down in front of me with a smirk on his face after hearing my answer. He combed some hair in front of my face, and made a quick, decisive cut. "_Well then, there you go! They are a little longer so you can wear them to the side too, but that is the last hint I'm giving. The rest of the haircut will remain a secret!"_

By this point, I was the last one still being worked on, so everyone was sitting watching me. Quinn's hair was slightly blonder and cut in a cute bob with lots of layers. Since Kurt was done too, he had taken a dress and a pair of heels I had just bought from one of my shopping bags and set them out for me to put on when I was done. I was going to be cutting it close to dinner, but Donovan swore I was almost complete.

"_Ok"_ he said once he had finished styling my hair. "_You, my darling, our done! And may I just say, you look radiant and amazing. I barely know you, but from what I've gathered from listening to you in here, this look is much more you."_

My friends were adamantly nodding in agreement. "_Yes, it is so you, Rach! It's way more fun, mature, and sexy."_

I was really ready to see it by this point, so I was practically begging him to turn the chair around. "_Please, can I see now?"_ my eyes big and questioning.

He answered by turning the chair around, and I took my reflection in. My hair was chocolate brown with mahogany pieces subtly and softly placed throughout. I could not be happier with the color because it looked even better than my shiny and silky pre-Wicked locks. The length was drastically shorter than before, but I loved it too. It came to about three inches below my shoulders, almost even with my armpits. He had styled it in a part to the side, and my bands were swept to that side, enhancing my brown eyes. He had added soft, long layers that framed my face and added texture to my hair. He loosely curled it and it fell in messy waves around my shoulders and face.

"_What do you think?"_ Donovan looked a little nervous at my quietness since I hadn't really been quiet all day.

"_I love it! Thank you so much!" _I hugged him tightly and appreciatively. "_It's exactly what I wanted and needed. I can't wait until Finn sees it, because I think he is really, really going to like it"_ I was already imaging Finn's reaction and him running his hands through my hair. He loved me no matter what my hair looked like, but I knew he loved my hair best when it was chocolate brown, shorter, healthier, and silkier, and now it was all of those things and more.


	10. Fire Away!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. The chapter title comes from "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Finn:**

I was sitting at the bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, waiting for Rachel to arrive. I looked at my watch for the time and then my phone for new messages, but I didn't have any. Rachel was twenty minutes late, and I was getting antsy. I know I shouldn't care about how she looks because she's my wife and I'll love her no matter what, but those texts really scared me. I wasn't a huge fan of her 'Wicked' hair because it was so dark and didn't fit her happy and animated personality, but at least she had hair I could run my fingers through and pull when I kissed her passionately.

I looked down when I saw my phone light up and buzz on the bar.

**Enjoy ;) xoxo Kurt**

I was confused at first by Kurt's text message, but realized he was probably talking about Rachel, so I turned around towards the door to see if Rachel had arrived. My jaw dropped in shock. Rachel was searching for me in the crowd at the door, and I took that moment to gaze at her beauty. She was wearing a tiny white sparkly dress that showed off her amazing body, black heels, and a black leather jacket. Her tan skin was glowing, her eyes were sparkling, and her perfect plump lips were covered in pink lipstick. But her hair was what really made my mouth drop open because it was so different. It was a warm chocolate brown and was cut a little past her shoulders with bangs pushed to the side, framing her face. It was in messy, sexy waves that reminded me of how her hair looked after we had sex.

She spotted me checking her out, and smiled as she sauntered over to where I was sitting.

"_Hey, Honey!"_ She leaned in to give me kiss on my cheek, but I turned my face at the last second so her lips found mine. I held her to me, running my hand down her slender body, and felt her smile against my lips.

"_Finn, we are in public."_ She said, jokingly admonishing me.

I grinned at her, but kept my hand around her body. "_I couldn't help myself. Rach, you are absolutely stunning."_ I gently took a piece of her hair between my fingers and sighed. "_It's so soft and shiny…I really, really love it."_ I wanted to run my hands through it and feel more, but I knew she would get mad if I messed it up before dinner.

"_Thanks! I'm glad you like it—It was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I totally would have been too nervous to cut so much hair off at one time, but once I relaxed, I let him do his thing." _Rachel was absolutely glowing as she lightly shook her hair around her shoulders while she talked. I knew it was most likely the pregnancy hormones, but it seemed like she was finally back to her pre-morning sickness self, and she was radiating happiness and confidence.

"_Come on! I know I'm late, so let's go get our table cause the twins and I are starving."_ She took my hand and began to walk towards the front to give them our name. I picked up my drink and finished it off in one gulp, because she was killing me right now. My wife was the most stunning, sexy, radiant person in the room right now, and she also happened to be pregnant with our twins. Really, nothing could be more of a turn on, but I still had to control myself through dinner. I inwardly groaned at that thought, but rejoiced when I thought about how mind-blowing the sex would be tonight and this weekend. I felt my pants tighten instantly at the vision brewing in my head.

At dinner I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. I was shoving food in my mouth to get finished faster, but she was taking her sweet time. She had already eaten a salad, 3 pieces of bread, an entire plate of eggplant parmesan, and we were currently sharing a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream on top.

"_I forgot how much I loved diary products. This ice cream is to die for!"_ She took a bite and let out a long moan, which drove me wild.

"_Well, you've missed out being a vegan all, but I'm glad you decided to go back to being a vegetarian during the pregnancy. You and the babies need more nutrients."_ I tried to take the last bit of brownie on the plate, but her fork beat me to it. She snatched it up and put it into her mouth, pulling the fork out teasingly slowly. 

_"Too slow…"_ She said as she coyly smiled at me through her long, dark lashes. She was playing with me, and I was going to play right back.

I reached under the table and rested my hand on her bare thigh. I started to run my fingers up, inching further under her dress as I went. She was trying to ignore me and drink some of her water, but it wasn't working. I saw her bite her lip, and her body squirm under my sensual touch.

"_Something wrong, babe?"_ I smirked at her death glare, and slowly walked my fingers up until I was touching her panties. I could feel how wet she was, and I lightly trailed along the fabric with my finger.

"_Finn!"_ She yelled in a whispered. She grabbed my hand and pulled it up above the table with a look of pure desire. "_Let's get out of here."_ She threw money on the table in haste, and I knew it was a lot more than we owed, but didn't say anything. She was finally aching for me as badly as was aching for her, and I wasn't about to stop her.

The entire cab ride home was spent making out and grabbing at each other. Once we made it to our building, we practically ran to our apartment. I was undressing myself in the hallway, and she happily assisted me by ripping my dress shirt off, letting my buttons fly all around us. I took her face in my hands and pushed her against our locked door, and nibbled on her neck as I reached for the lock with my key. We stumbled in, still attached at the lips, and didn't make it to the bed. We collapsed on the couch in our living room, and I finished undressing. My pants, shoes, and socks were all discarded, so all I had left were my boxers.

While I was hard at work getting my clothes off, Rachel was unzipping her dress and taking off her heels. She, too, was left in only her undergarments, and I let out a gasp at her lying on the couch in only her white lacy bra and matching thong. Her hair was fanned out under her head, and her beauty left me speechless.

I gently lifted her body so that she was straddling me on the couch, unhooking her bra simultaneously. I took her breasts in my palms, but she got a slightly pained expression on her face. I instantly began to remove my hands, but she simply placed her hands on top of mine, keeping them in place.

"_There're really tender."_ She gave me a small smile before she started to move my hands slowly on her sore breasts. I understood, and she took her hands from mine so I lightly massaged her nipples while she moaned in pleasure.

I took her right one in my mouth and sucked, while I still massaged her left one. I switched and did the same thing to her other breast, and she arched her back and ran her hands through my unruly hair. I felt her tugging at the waistband of my boxers and allowed her to slip them down my legs. Still with my lips on her body, she took my length in her small, deft hands, and began to rub up and down the shaft.

"_Oh…Baby"_ I lost all attention on what I was doing and buried my head into her neck. I needed to be inside her, so I felt for her panties and yanked them down. I rested my hard cock against her opening, and reached my finger down to feel her wet core. I slipped one finger, then two, inside her folds and moved it around while she panted. Knowing she was ready, I crashed into her hard, and immediately started a fast rhythm. She was meeting me, thrust for thrust, and we were both breathing heavily, calling out and screaming unintelligible words. I looked deeply into her burning eyes and felt all the love between us.

"_I love you so much."_ I managed to get out between pants.

"_I love you too"_ She returned, and I knew by the look in her face she was close to the edge.

I shifted our bodies to get a better angle and pumped into her a couple more times. I couldn't hold on any longer and felt myself orgasm violently inside her. I instantly saw her face change and her body shook as she reached her climax with me, and we collapsed on the couch. Sweat was running down our bodies, and our breathing was hitched in our throats from the fast pace and strength of our lovemaking.

We fell asleep on the couch like this, but in the middle of the night, I woke up and carried her to the bed. I knew it wouldn't be good for her body to sleep all night on the uncomfortable couch. I placed her gently on the bed, and curled my body around her still sound asleep body. I fell back into a deep sleep staring at her beautiful and peaceful face.

* * *

The next day, we traveled the couple of hours to the music festival in upstate New York. None of us had cars in the city, so we rented a large SUV to drive down all together. Everyone was really excited, even Kurt, Rachel, and Quinn, and this wasn't really their type of music. I had also rented a cabin for all of us to use for the night we were staying over, since there weren't any hotel rooms available at such short notice.

We entered the cabin and each couple went in search for their respective rooms. Rach and I got the master bedroom since we were paying, but they were all fairly small—small, but nice—so it wasn't that much different from the two other rooms. The kitchen was open to the great room, which had two couches facing the fireplace. It was quaint and rustic, but really nice.

We arrived around 4 pm in the evening, and Rachel immediately took a nap while the rest of us relaxed and talked on the couches. At 5:30, we started to make dinner with the ingredients Quinn and Tom picked up from a local grocery store. I knew Rachel was tired and needed her sleep, so I let her rest while we cooked and woke her up when it was ready. We had a nice, quiet dinner, and then all went to our own rooms to get ready for the first night of the festival.

"_Do you think it will be cold?"_ Rachel asked, as she came out of the shower with her towel wrapped around her.

I looked up the weather on my phone. "_No, it says it's supposed to stay warm all night long, but bring a jacket just in case because you always get cold."_

"_Ok, well in that case, I think I'll wear my new top with…"_ Her voice faded as she walked into the closet. She came out a couple minutes later wearing a sheer black tank top—revealing her black, lace bra underneath—and skintight red jeans that stopped at the bottoms of her ankles. She had black heels on and a black leather jacket in her hands.

"_What do you think? I was trying for 'rocker-chic'."_ She twirled around so I could get a good look at her outfit.

"_Wow…just wow. It looks really hot, Babe."_ I smiled and put my hands firmly on her hips to pull her to me. I placed a light kiss on her soft lips and pulled away to get dressed myself. She left and said something about Kurt doing her hair and make-up, and I went to the closet and grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a white V-neck to wear.

Tom and I were the first ready, so we sat on the stools at the kitchen counter sipping beer and talking about which bands we were most excited to see live.

"_I cannot wait to see Foreigner. They have been my favorite ever since my dad played them for me on the way to school everyday until high school, and I began to drive myself."_ Tom said excitedly.

"_Oh, yeah. I'm really looking forward to seeing them too. I think—"_ I was cut off by Blaine coming in, completely flustered.

"_Urg! If Kurt makes me change one more time, I'm seriously going naked!"_ his voice was exasperated and annoyed.

"_Sorry, man. I can relate."_ I gave him a tight smile and shrugged. Blaine knew Kurt could get a little crazy about clothing, but I knew he loved Kurt despite his frustration at him at the moment.

We continued on with our conversation, and finally Kurt, Quinn, and Rachel came out, ready to go to the festival. Kurt was wearing dark, tight jeans, a black top, and a black jacket. It was very him, but also fit the venue, and I know he probably spent hours getting the look just right. Quinn was wearing a green skirt that was just above the knee, and a silver tank top with a navy jacket over top. She was wearing silver heels, and her short hair was bone straight.

They both looked nice, but once my eyes found Rachel, I couldn't look anywhere else—she seems to have that effect on me. She was wearing the same outfit as before, but Kurt had curled her hair and French braided the front so her bangs were away from her face and I could clearly see her eyes. She had dark liner around them, and it accentuated the gold specs sparkling in her beautiful brown eyes.

"_We are ready for some rock-in-roll!" _Rachel excitedly yelled and pumped her fist in the air. Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm.

I pulled her into my side and she put her arm around my waist as we walked out to the car. This was going to be a lot of fun.

* * *

It was the day after the first day of the music festival, and it was pouring outside. I was getting nervous that they would have to cancel the rest of the shows since the bands played outside. Rachel was constantly checking the website for updates, and we were just sitting around waiting to hear if we'd have to go home early.

All of a sudden, Rachel jumped up happily. "_They found a venue to host the final day of music! It's an old, abandoned warehouse about 15 minutes away, so we should probably think about getting ready. The first band goes on at 7:00,"_ She stopped to check the time,_ "and it's close to 6:30 now."_

We all went back to our rooms, showered, and got dressed. I wore a variation of what I wore the previous day—jeans and light blue graphic t-shirt. Rachel had put on a short white skirt, a navy and white polka-dot blouse that was unbuttoned alightly, and nude sandals with a small heel. Her hair was perfectly straight and silky, and she had her bangs straight across her forehead. Again, I thought about how lucky I was to have such a hot wife.

Last night was really fun, but I think all of us were looking forward to the bands performing tonight more. We arrived at the building, and it was absolutely packed. We ended up having to park in the grass about a 10 minute walk from the entrance, but we didn't mind the cool air on our stroll. Rachel's hand was in mine and we were swinging it back and forth as we walked along.

When we reached the abandoned warehouse, I saw that it was really old, but perfect for a rock concert. The brick was decaying to the point that you could see the wood beams running throughout the entire structure, and it creating a cool atmosphere—It had extremely tall ceilings and was wide open, providing great acoustics. We didn't really care about the first two bands playing, so we decided to take our time getting ready and come a little late.

There was a makeshift bar in the front, and we all headed there first. I felt badly that Rachel couldn't drink any alcohol and had to watch all of us get drunk, so I hadn't been drinking more than one bottle of beer throughout the festival. However, Rachel's pregnancy wasn't stopping the others, because they had all gotten shitfaced the previous night, and I had to drag them to our car. They promised to take it a little easier tonight since we were waking up early tomorrow and driving back to the city.

We hung out, just chatting around the bar, when we heard the announcement that one of the bands we were excited about seeing was about to go on.

"_Come on, Finn! I know you wanted to see them, so let's get really close."_ She took my hand and maneuvered us through the crowd until we were in the front. Kurt and Blaine were right being us, and Quinn and Tom were getting more to drink before joining us. They started to play, and Rachel stood in front of me, back pressed to my front, and slowly grinded her hips side to side. I reached down for both of her hands, and held them above her head as I moved with her. We stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the nice, slow rock the band was playing.

We had been at the festival for about 2 hours, dancing and having fun together. When some of the really fast-paced songs came on, we stepped to the side to let others enjoy the mosh-pit atmosphere. Rachel was still pregnant after all, so I didn't really feel comfortable having people push and shove violently when she is so tiny and carrying our babies. She didn't mind my protectiveness, though, and we simply swayed closely and watched the mayhem around us.

We hadn't seen Quinn and Tom for a while, but we assumed they had gone to a nice little corner to make out, as they tended to get super touchy and bold when they were both intoxicated, not that I had room to speak. Blaine and Kurt were dancing crazily, enjoying the pushing and shoving in the middle of the dance floor.

The song ended, and we saw Blaine and Kurt coming our way completely drenched in sweat.

"_Shit! That is crazy! You two should get in there!"_ Kurt was definitely drunk.

Rachel pointed at her belly and shrugged. "_I think that's a little too much for me, but I'm glad you're enjoying it." _ I squeezed her hand in agreement, and Kurt just nodded sympathetically.

Blaine was still bouncing to the music playing, but I saw him yell over the loud music. "_Anyone need the restroom? I was about to piss myself out there!"_ Blaine was a little drunk, but he still seemed pretty in control of himself.

"_Oh, God! Me! I have been dying all night."_ Rachel released my hand and turned to give me a small kiss. "_I'll be right back, ok? Don't move so I can find you again."_

"_Uh, ok…I can go with you."_ I was a little worried that the enormous crowd would swallow her up, as it had grown infinitely larger since we arrived. I silently wondered if this was too full, but pushed it aside when I saw her pleading face.

"_Finn. I'll be with Blaine the entire time, plus someone needs to stay here and watch Kurt…"_ She pointed to where Kurt had wondered off to.

"_Yeah, you're right, but be careful"_ I looked at Blaine pointedly, and he looked as if her sobered up in that moment.

"_Don't worry, Finn. I've got her. Can you look after Kurt for me?"_ I nodded at him and tuned to find Kurt, who was shimmying through the mosh pit. I reluctantly went after Kurt, glad I was so tall for once in my life, because it allowed me to spot him in the out-of-control crowd. I loved this music festival, but I could totally do without the drunk, strung-out, and/or stoned audience members.

* * *

**Rachel:**

Blaine and I walked around the large building, searching for the restrooms. Finally, we located them down a long hallway in the back and took turns using it, as there was only one. I let Blaine go first because he looked like we going to explode—he was even doing a little dance. He was quick, and then it was my turn. I was washing my hands and examining my appearance in the mirror when I heard a loud bang and then screams erupt. Blaine was pounding on the door and shouting something, but I couldn't hear anything, so I quickly dried my hands and opened the door. Blaine grabbed my hand and started running down the narrow corridor. I followed in complete confusion, until we made it to the end of the hallway and stopped in shock.

"_What the hell…?"_ I said this more to myself because nothing could be heard over the frantic shrieks, falling wood, and roaring fire. The stage was on fire and it was quickly spreading around the condemned warehouse. The old, rotted wood was coming down from the ceiling and hitting people or blocking their escape. It was too crowded, causing everyone to push, shove, and trample over each other so they could get to safety.

Blaine and I were still standing in the hallway planning on what to do. If we stepped foot out into the crowd, we would be trampled and most likely separated. Blaine looked at me with fear etched on his face and I'm sure my face looked the same.

"_We need to get out of here!"_ Blaine yelled as loud as he could so I could hear him through the noise.

"_No! I can't leave Finn and Kurt! Oh God! What about Quinn and Tom?"_ I began to panic thinking about them. The last time I saw Finn and Kurt, they were standing right by the stage that was now completely gone and the remnants were enflamed by fire. And I hadn't seen Quinn and Tom for at least an hour.

I felt Blaine's hand on my shoulder and his look was now serious. "_Rachel, I need to get you out of here. I promised Finn I'd look after you, and he promised he'd look after Kurt. Come on! They may be outside already."_ He held on to my hand so tightly, I thought he would break it.

We stepped into the chaos and I felt people's bodies pounding against mine and trying to get me out of their way. There was only one small doorway to get out of the burning, collapsing building, and everyone was making their way to it. We let the crowd direct us in that direction, but it was still so far away—at least another 50 feet—and I could feel the smoke burning my lungs.

I instinctively place my free hand on my stomach, and my panic level rose infinitely. It wasn't only Finn, Kurt, Blaine, Quinn, Tom, and me in this fire, but my babies. I needed to get out of here as soon as possible because I knew this panic and smoke was awful for a pregnancy.

As I thought this, I saw the shining red and blue lights of police and fire engines in a small opening only a few feet away. Once I made it through the exit, I took a huge breath of fresh air into my lungs. My head felt light and began to see black dots as I fell to the earth. Before I hit the ground, though, I felt hands come around my waist, and heard Blaine's calming voice in my ear.

"_Rachel! Take slow, deep breaths. You're ok, you just need some clean air."_ As he said this, he gently led me to a picnic bench.

I followed his directions, but I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. Blaine took a seat beside me and held my hand as we both watched in disbelief at the fire and destruction in front of us. We were pulled out of our stares by a hysterical voice yelling to us. I looked up and saw Quinn and Tom running towards us.

"_Oh, thank God! You're ok?"_ Quinn was crouching down in front of us and looking my body over to see for herself if I was unhurt.

I nodded, but my crying got stronger and louder when I thought about Finn and Kurt. There was still wasn't a sign of them, and I was thinking the worse. Quinn finished examining me for injuries, and then took my hands in hers as she looked directly into my eyes.

"_Everything will be alright, Rachel."_ She turned to look at Tom and gave him a pointed look. He understood what she was saying with her eyes, and turned and walked away from us in search for Finn and Kurt.

It had been nearly a half hour since we escaped the warehouse, and the fire was finally put out. Not much was left of the building—it was mostly a heap of bricks and charred wood—and Tom still hadn't come back with news of Finn and Kurt's whereabouts. My tears had stopped a little while ago, and now I was just numb. I felt Quinn's hand tighten around mine, and looked at her questioningly. She just kept looking in the distance and I followed her gaze, seeing Tom jogging back to us.

He was breathless and sweat was glistening on his temples. "_I…I found..them."_ He paused to catch his breath and then continued. "_They are with the paramedics. Follow me."_ He motioned for us to come with him and we all shot up and complied.

We reached the area where the paramedics where treating at least two-dozen people. I saw people covered in burns and with other various injuries, but knew these weren't the most serious cases—those were at the hospital, or under the debris. I almost threw up remembering the crushed bodies I saw as we scrambled out of the flaming building.

Tom stopped and I turned to an emergency response truck, and I saw Finn sitting on the bumper with a female paramedic dressing a gash on his leg. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up and ran to me, taking my small form into his larger one.

"_Rach! Are you ok? Fuck, I was so scared."_ He was doing what Quinn had done when she first found me. I saw the tears in his eyes as he looked me over and placed his hands on my stomach.

"_I'm o..ok. I was just really worried about you and Kurt."_ I was sobbing again and I placed my hands over his on my belly. "_Are you ok?"_

"_Yeah, I just have a cut on my shin, and I had a lot of smoke in my lungs when I finally got us out of there. They had to keep me here and give me oxygen for a while, so I couldn't find you. I'm so sorry, Rach. I love you so much."_ He held me in his arms for a bit, but then I remembered I still hadn't seen if Kurt was safe.

"_Where's Kurt?"_ I began to look around for him, but didn't see him anywhere. Blaine was speaking to a paramedic and his face looked really white.

"_He's going to be ok. They had to take him to the hospital because he got knocked in the head pretty hard and had a nasty cut on his head. But he was awake and alert when he left—he was more worried about you and the babies and how his hair looked.."_ Finn let a small smirk find his features.

"_We have to go then. Let's get everyone and get to the hospital. I don't want him to have to be there alone."_ I trusted Finn, but I needed to see if my best friend was safe for myself, and I'm sure Blaine was dying to see Kurt too.

We managed to make our way back to the car and drove to the hospital in relative silence. We arrived to the ER and saw Kurt sitting up in a bed, smiling when he saw us. That was very reassuring.

"_Oh, Rach! You're ok! I've been sitting here asking all the nurses if they saw a tiny, brunette, pregnant woman come in, and they said they hadn't. I was worried you-"_ His smile faltered and he now had tears welling up in his blue-gray eyes.

I hugged him softly, not knowing if he was hurt. "_I'm ok..we're ok."_ I reassured him. "_How are you? Your hair still looks perfect"_ I smiled at him, trying to lighten the morbid mood, and he returned it hesitantly.

"_Thanks. I feel fine. They just wanted to make sure my head was ok before releasing me, and it is, so can we please go home? I'm so over this festival." _Everyone chuckled at his comment and agreed.

Blaine kissed Kurt hard on his lips and he had tears of relief in his eyes. He stayed with Kurt as he signed the release papers, and the rest of us went back to the car to get ready to head home. I pulled out my cell for the first time in more than five hours, and saw 10 voicemails and 18 texts from Santana, my fathers, and Carole. I walked away from the car a little and pressed send.

"_Rachel!"_ Santana's loud voice rang out through the phone into my ear. I pulled back slightly before answering.

"_Yeah, Santana, I'm ok…We all are."_

"_What the hell happened?! It's all over the news! They reported that there have been multiple deaths and dozens of serious injuries."_

"_The festival got moved inside a condemned warehouse because of the rain and it caught fire. I have no clue what started it, but it was horrible. We all got out, though, so we're coming home now."_

"_I was having a heart attack here! You didn't think to call me back?"_ She was over her fears for us and had gone into her angry mode—which was really scary.

I took a deep breath because I really didn't feel like talking right now. I was exhausted from the terrifying night, and really needed to sit down. Finn must have seen me teetering on my feet because he came rushing over and put a solid hand on my waist and took the phone from me.

"Hey _Santana. Yeah, I swear we are all fine. We were really lucky, but Rachel needs to sit down. All this panic is not good for her and the babies."_ He paused to listen to whatever Santana was saying. "_Yeah, that sounds fine. Tell Addie to release a short statement saying we are all unhurt, and would like our privacy. We'll be home late."_ He hung up and led me to the car, putting me in the very back seat so I could lay down flat.

I felt groggy and tired, but also so relieved everyone was alive and not seriously injured. I knew Finn was right about us being extremely lucky to get out. I pulled his dirty shirt weakly and brought him to my lips. "_Finn…I love you so much."_

He closed his eyes a little, and kissed me back lightly. "_I love you to Rach, so much. Now, please, get some sleep."_ He put a sweet kiss to my forehead and closed the door. I was out cold before we even started our drive home.

* * *

November

It had been more than a month since the festival and fire incident, and everyone was glad to finally move on from it. Nine people were killed in the fire, with twenty-five had been seriously injured, so it was a very high profile case. It was made even more publicized once it was discovered the Blaine, Finn, and I were in attendance. We were all fairly famous and recognizable, so the public was really concerned for our safety. Blaine was famous for being the lovable Today Show co-host, Finn for being the owner of a famous restaurant and influential talent agency, and me for being the Oscar and Tony award-winning actress and America's newest tiny Sweetheart.

Plus, everyone was in love with Finn and me because of our love story—we were even called Finchel in magazines and on E! News—which made all of our friends laugh, since they've been calling us that for years. Thankfully when Addie released the statement, it blew over fairly quickly.

* * *

Presently, it was two days before Thanksgiving, and I was lying on the couch making a list of everything I needed to get tomorrow and Thursday. I was hosting my first major holiday with all of our friends and family, and I was stressed to say the least. Finn was at the new place, overseeing the finishing touches before we officially moved in tomorrow morning. I hadn't seen it in over two weeks, as he wanted to keep it that way so it was a surprise for me, but I couldn't wait to see it. I was a little nervous because I was a total control freak, and liked to be in charge of every last detail, but Finn kept begging me to trust him. He was worried that I'd get too stressed out if I had to worry about both Thanksgiving and getting the house ready, but I don't think he realized I was stressing anyways.

Just then, the door opened and Finn came through carrying some take-out. He smiled when he saw me lying down, and came over to place a chaste kiss on my lips.

"_Hey. I'm glad you're relaxing now, cause Thursday will be crazy. I can't wait until you see the house, babe. It's perfect!"_ He said this as he went into the kitchen to grab two plates and some silverware. He came back and started to dish out the Mexican food from my favorite place down the street from our new apartment.

"_Mmm yum! Thanks, honey. We were getting very hungry just sitting here."_ I placed a hand on my now obvious baby bump and laughed as my stomach growled, as if on cue.

Finn smiled as he, too, placed his hand on my belly. "_It's so weird how much it's grown in a month. One day you were flat as can be, and then the next day, a bump appeared. Now, you can definitely tell there is a baby or two in there."_ He was really excited, and I was too. It finally felt real that we were going to have two babies with us in a little over four months, as I was almost five months pregnant.

"_I know! I can't fit into anything! I just bought some new jeans three weeks ago with Kurt, and they don't button anymore. I wish I were pregnant over the summer so I could wear long, flowing dresses. But it's the winter and I have to find warm weather clothing to fit over all of this."_ I patted my belly, and Finn laughed and rolled his eye at me. I was being a tad over dramatic because I really wasn't that large or anything, but I had just gotten a bump so quickly. One day I was my normal self, and then I woke up the next day, and my stomach had just popped out of nowhere. It was quite shocking, but I was just getting past the point where I looked bloated and fat, and now I actually looked pregnant.

We finished dinner, and snuggled as we watched some TV together. Finn was right—we would be busy tomorrow with all the chaos that comes with moving, as well as on Thanksgiving day—so we fell asleep early.

The next day, we woke up fairly early so we could go to the new apartment. I was ready to make it a home, and actually live in it, so I was happy Thanksgiving was so close. Nothing makes a home feel more like a home than a holiday and family.

I made coffee for Finn and tea for myself, put them in to-go cups, and we made it to our new home around ten in the morning. On the way there, we stopped at the grocery store to purchase all the items on my list for the meal tomorrow and other things we would need for daily life. I was so thankful for the staff of the building, because as soon as they saw us with our bags, they immediately came out to help.

Finn unlocked the front door, and as soon as I caught a glimpse I gasped. It was beautiful. The woodwork was white, the floors were a dark mahogany color, and the entry had a beautiful, understated chandelier. The whole look of the apartment was fresh, warm, and had an almost beach-y vibe. It was exactly how I'd imagined my dream home to look like. I hugged Finn and kissed him all over.

"_Finn! This is stunning!"_ He smiled at my reaction. I'm sure it was exactly how he hoped I would respond.

"_I'm happy you like it."_

We were inspired by our trip to Europe, especially Santorini, so the main color palate for the apartment was white, blue, green, yellow, and pops of red. It took me back to our lovely first anniversary trip—where the twins were actually conceived—and it instantly put me in a good mood. I slept so well in our new, massive bedroom, in our new home, dreaming of beautiful Santorini and my thoughtful husband, Finn.


	11. Somewhere Over the Rainbow

**Disclaimer: I do not own glee.**

**Chapter title from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"- Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version**

* * *

Thanksgiving Day had arrived, and our new house was bustling. My dads were sleeping in the guest room on the first floor, and Carole and Burt were staying in one of the rooms upstairs. I was grateful they were staying here, though, because that meant I would have more help with the cooking and preparation. Finn, Burt, and my dads were setting the table and watching the parade, while Carole and I were cooking in the kitchen. We were responsible for making the pumpkin pies, turkey, green bean casserole, stuffing, and pasta (for me), Kurt and Blaine were bringing the mashed potatoes, Quinn and Tom were bringing the pecan pie and fruit, and Santana was bringing rolls—she wasn't much of a chef.

We checked the turkey and determined that it had another hour or two, so we sat down at the stools in the kitchen to rest our feet, which were tired from standing all day.

Carole looked over at me and smiled, as I rested my hand instinctively on my growing belly. "_How are you feeling, sweetie?"_

_"Pretty good. Although I get tired much easier than normal and I feel like I'm growing constantly."_ I laughed a little.

"_Well, you are carrying twins, so you'll be much bigger than most. Don't worry, though, you make a beautiful pregnant woman. You're absolutely glowing."_ She was grinning at me, and it was contagious.

"_Thanks, Carole."_ I paused, thinking of how to phrase my question._ "I was kind of curious…how big was Finn was he was born. I'm a little nervous that they'll be huge since he's so big."_ I said nervously, and she just chuckled at the expression on my face.

"_You have nothing to worry about. Finn was only 7lbs. 8oz when he was born. He didn't get freakishly tall until about seven years old."_

"_Hey!"_ Finn said, mock offended, as he came into the kitchen.

"_Sorry, babe,"_ I said laughing._ "but I need to know these things. I'll be pushing these two out soon, so I want to be as prepared as possible."_ He came behind me and hugged me with his hands over my belly—lately, both of our hands just seem to gravitate towards my pregnant stomach.

"_We'll be prepared, believe me. We are taking all those classes, and everything. You'll be amazing."_ I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. Carole was beaming at our sweet interaction, and at the upcoming arrival of her grandchildren.

The evening went smoothly, and everyone was gushing about the new apartment.

"_Wow! That's all I can say about you new place. It's fabulous, and I want it!"_ He turned to Blaine with a pleading look in his eyes._ "Blaine, let's move into this building! It's so nice and we would be close to our little babies."_ Blaine looked a little caught off guard, but simply smiled and nodded.

"_Uh, ok. I actually really do love the luxury and security of the building."_

"_Yay! Now, let's get serious. When are we finding out what we are having?"_ Kurt was looking at Finn and I expectantly. He's started to call our babies, his, which was pretty amusing, and occassionally annoying, to us.

"_We can find out next week, but we haven't decided if we want to know."_ As I was speaking, all nine pair of eyes shot me shocked looks.

"_Wh..what did you just say? Did you say you weren't going to find out, because I know that can't be right."_ Kurt's voice had gone up an octave and he was turning red.

Finn smiled and answered for me. "_Yeah, well we haven't decided yet, but wouldn't it be cool to be surprised in the moment?"_

_"NO! I need to prepare!"_ He turned to me and pleaded with his blue eyes. "_Rach, come on. Please don't do this to me. We need to do the nursery and pick names and-"_

"_Kurt, you do realize that the twins aren't yours, right? And that you will not be naming them?"_ I patted his back when his face fell at the thought that he wouldn't get to name them.I thought about what he said for a second, a little wistful. _"I guess it would be nice to know what we needed, and it would help with decorating the nursery..."_

Everyone's faces were brightening up at my apparent change of heart. I know everyone was anxious to find out what we were expecting since we were the first to experience this milestone. Maybe we would find out, but Finn and I would have to really think and talk about it before making a final decision.

* * *

It was a week later, and Finn and I were sitting at Dr. Pope's office waiting to see the doctor. We decided to find out, and we were practically bouncing in our seats with anticipation.

"_Rachel, we're ready for you." _The nurse called me back, and led me to the scale to take my weight. The numbers stunned me since I hadn't really been keeping track.

"_Wow…have I really gained 15lbs already? Is that normal at only 5 months?_ I looked worriedly towards the nurse.

She laughed at my alarm. "_You are perfectly on track, Rachel. Remember, you're having twins so you'll grow faster and bigger than a normal pregnancy, but you're healthy and that's all that matters."_

She then took us to the room to take my blood pressure, and we waited for Dr. Pope to come in. We heard the knock and saw her head pop in with her signature smile.

"_Hi! Excited to find out today?"_

Finn looked at me and we both nodded. She felt my belly with her hands, and then began using the ultra sound machine to view the twins. We were at the point where we could actually distinguish their individual body parts and it was amazing.

"_Ok, so you guys are sure you want to know?"_

_"Yes_!"We both exclaimed in unison.

She laughed, and then looked at us with a little sparkle in her eyes. "_Do you have any guesses first? We can make even more interesting…"_

"_Hmm" _I said, feeling my belly, as if it could give me the answer. "_I bet $10 that we are having two boys."_ I said confidently, and turned to Finn for his response.

"_I really have no clue, but I have a small feeling that there's one of each,"_ He was squinting at the screen to get a good look, but I knew he couldn't tell by looking._ "so I'll raise you, and bet $20."_

We both turned our attention back to Dr. Pope, waiting to reveal who, if either, was right. She took one last look at the screen, and then trained her eyes back on the two of us. "_One of you is right."_ She paused dramatically, and I honestly wanted to shake her. I can't believe we even thought about waiting, because just waiting minutes was agonizing, so I knew we would have never lasted the rest of the pregnancy._ "Congratulations…..Finn! You win! You're having a girl and a boy."_

I was crying like crazy and Finn had to grab a box of tissues so I could wipe my tears and nose. He came back and I saw his eyes sparkling with his own unshed tears. He kissed my hair and we cheered for our perfect little family.

"_I win."_ Finn whispered happily in my ear.

I hit him on the shoulder, but was smiling through my sobs. "_I'm glad. Now we will have one each!"_

As soon as we left the doctor's office, I looked at my phone and saw a message from all of our friends, my dads, and Carole. I was about to text the news, but stopped myself.

"_Finn, we should do something fun to tell everyone."_

We were walking back home, brainstorming ideas of how to tell everyone, when we passed a cute little cupcake shop.

"_Ohh, Finn, a cupcake sounds amazing right now. Let's go in!"_ I pulled him inside the shop, and immediately started to browse the selection. There were so many options to chose from that I couldn't choose just one.

"_I can't decide. They all look delicious."_

"_We can get a bunch of different ones, and save some for later. I'm sure you'll have another craving for one soon."_ He was right. My cravings were getting out of control. Right now, basically anything with sugar made my mouth water, but I made sure that I ate a lot of fruits and veggies to compensate for my super sweet tooth. 

The nice looking lady behind the counter overheard our conversation, and chimed in. "_We can also make special orders if you have something particular in mind."_

Finn gave me a wicked smile. "_I know how we should tell everyone. We should get a cupcake with blue icing and one with pink, and then send a picture out."_

"_Aw that would be so cute!"_ I turned to the woman and asked her if it was possible. She said absolutely and went into the back to ice two cupcakes to our specification.

Soon, she came back out with two perfectly iced cupcakes—one light blue and the other light pink. I took the blue cupcake and Finn took the pink, and we asked her to take a photo on my iphone.

I was sitting on Finn's lap, and we both faced the camera with the biggest smiled on our faces.

"_Say twins!"_ She said before she snapped a picture. She looked down at the photo. "_Beautiful!"_

We stayed and ate our respective cupcakes before picking out a dozen more to take home. Once we got back to the apartment, I decided that all of our loved ones had waited long enough, and sent the picture to everyone. The response was immediate, and the congratulations were pouring in. Kurt had already began planning my baby shower, and names were be suggested by everyone.

"_Santana just suggested we name the twins Santano and Santana." _I yelled to Finn, who was in the kitchen.

He came back in holding glasses of water, chuckling. "_No way! We are not naming our twins something match-y like that. I want them to have their own names."_

I took a sip from my glass and patted his thigh. "_Don't worry, I'm not a fan of that either, but do you have any names in mind?"_ I was curious. We hadn't talked about names yet, and I wondered if we would be able to agree on two that we both loved.

He looked a little embarrassed. "_Well, yeah, just a little. I was thinking that maybe the middle names could be something meaningful to us, and then the first names could be ones that we both just love."_ He stared at me questioningly, expecting me to hate and shoot down his idea.

I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "_I think that's a lovely idea."_ I kissed his lips slowly and ran my fingers through his wild hair. "_What about Christopher for a middle name? It would kind of be in keeping with tradition, as it's your middle name and it was a family name before that…?"_ I didn't know if he wanted to give our son the same middle name as his, but it really would be a nice tribute to his father's side of the family, who he hadn't really gotten to know.

He smiled and pulled me back to his lips. "_I would really like that. And, I was thinking that since you don't have a lot of family, we could use Clara or Claire as a middle name for our daughter. I know your great aunt Clara was really special to you while you were growing up."_

I began to bawl in Finn's lap, out of a mixture of hormones, sadness at our lost loved ones, and because we had just decided on the middle names for our children. I was quickly becoming a mess, so Finn wiped my tears with the pad of his thumb and then pulled me closer. He was getting used to my crying spells, which were only becoming more frequent as the pregnancy progressed.

"_I love you_." He whispered into my neck. He was playing with my hair, which always soothed me, and I fell asleep on top of him like that. Before becoming completely unconscious, I murmured 'I love you' back.

* * *

December:

I was now nearly 6 months pregnant, and already felt ready to pop. Kurt and I had to go shopping for a totally new wardrobe last week, because I now only fit into maternity clothing. I tried for as long as possible to just get bigger sizes of normal women's clothing, but it really wasn't working anymore. At least Kurt knows all of the good maternity boutiques and exactly how to style my outfit to make me look ok, rather than a beached whale, which is what Santana often calls me. I have gained 20lbs and Dr. Pope expects me to gain a total of 35lbs by the end of the pregnancy, which sounds impossible. That's 15lbs in 3 months!

I basically sit down or lay as much as I possibly can because my feet and back hurt all the time. At the moment, I'm sitting at the desk in the home office of our apartment, writing a song for the musical. We have decided to shoot for a September 2020 release for our new original musical, so that gives us nearly two years to write the play, music and lyrics, find a theater and create the stage, costumes, props, and hire everyone needed to make the show possible. Although it seems like a long time, building a show from the ground up takes a lot of time, money, and effort, so two years is pretty ambitious.

I have one song totally complete, but it is difficult to write songs for a play that doesn't even have a scrip yet. However, I am glad that they are taking their time perfecting the script because I know that it will be that much more epic. It also allows me to take my time on the songs, as well as time to relax during my difficult pregnancy.

As I'm reworking a verse, hunger overwhelms me and I can think of nothing but food, so I get up in search of something tasty. On my way to the kitchen, I feel a really weird sensation in my stomach and reflexively grab it. It feels so strange—like fluttering or—and that's when I realize that I'm feeling the babies move for the first time! I immediately get my phone and hit send, calling Finn with the great news.

"_Hel-"_

_"Finn! I felt them! The twins just kicked for the first time!" _I cut him off, because I was too impatient for his response to the latest development.

"_Really? Shit! I'm missing things already…I wish I could be there."_ He sounds so sad and dejected that he can't experience this with me.

"_Babe, I'm sure they will be kicking when you get home. And what are you talking about? You've been with me every step of the way. We can't be with each other 24/7—we would drive each other absolutely insane—so don't take it too hard that you missed this."_

_"You're right, I just feel badly that I'm at work, but I can't wait to come home and feel it for myself."_ He sounded a little happier. I knew how he got sometimes—he has always been really hard on himself—but I'm sure the new lingerie I bought would cheer him right up.

"_Can't wait until you home either. Love you."_

"_Love you too, Rach. Bye"_

_"Bye"_

As soon as I hung up with Finn, my stomach growled and I got back to the task at hand—finding something to eat. I went into the pantry to grab peanut butter, and then got the chocolate pudding from the refrigerator—this was my new obsession—and I ate it at the kitchen island.

I was daydreaming, eating my second pudding cup, when the house phone rang. 'That's strange' I thought to myself. No one ever calls the house, but I looked at the caller ID and it said Ohio, so I figured it was someone I knew.

"_Hello?"_

_"Rachel? It's Will Schuester."_ His voice sounded just the same. It had been nearly a year and a half since I'd seen him at our wedding.

"_Oh, wow! Will, it's so nice to hear from you. It's been too long. How are have you been?"_ It's still so strange calling him Will.

"_It has been too long, but I'm actually calling because I have some sad news. _I heard the deep sorrow in his voice._ "Shannon Beiste passed away last night."_

_"Oh god…"_ I really didn't know how to react. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and tried to push them away, because I didn't want to break down with Mr. Schue on the line. "_I..wh..what happened?"_

He took a shallow breath, and I could hear Emma comforting him in the background. "_She was lifting weights and had a massive heart attack. She wasn't able to be revived once someone finally found her."_ He paused and I knew he was crying, and so was Emma, and it only made me start as well.

"_That's horrible. I just can't believe this…When is the service?"_ I managed through my own tears.

"_Saturday. I can send you all the details tonight, because I knew you, Finn, and the rest of the gang would want to hear it from me, rather than find out another way."_

I nodded even though he couldn't see. "_Thank you. We will be there, and if there is anything we could do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."_

"_I think it is all taken care of, but thank you. I guess we will see you in two days. Bye, Rachel."_

_"Bye, Will. And thank you for letting us know. I will pass it on to the others."_

I hung up and sat in the silent apartment for a few minutes, thinking back to all my memories of Coach Beiste. I didn't interact with her as much as Finn or the other football guys, but she spent a lot of time with the glee club our senior year, and I knew she cared deeply for all of us. She was one of the sweetest, most sincere women I have ever met in my life, and it was devastatingly shocking that she was gone.

I stared down at my cell phone, and knew that I needed to call Finn, but that was not a call I wanted to make. I dialed his number anyways, and waited for him to pick up.

"_Babe, you don't have to call every time the babies kick! I'll be home in thirty minutes."_ He sounded exasperated but also amused.

I tried to calm my voice so he wouldn't panic, but I don't think I was very successful. "_Honey, that's not why I called…Will called…Coach Beiste died last night."_ Once the words were out of my mouth I began to shake with tears again.

I heard a deep intake of air on his side of the phone. "_I..how..I'm coming home. I'll be there soon."_ He hung up quickly, and I knew he wanted to get out of the office and away from his employees so he could let out his sadness. He didn't like to show emotion, especially tears, in front of others.

Twenty minutes later, Finn came through the front door with red eyes. He immediately took me into his arms and hugged me tightly for a long while. Finally, he released me, and I saw he had been silently crying into my hair.

"_I just can't believe this. What happened?"_ He sounded shocked and sad, exactly how I felt when I heard the news.

I rehashed what Mr. Schue had told me, and we somehow found the strength to call up the rest of the glee club to inform them. We had all decided to go down for the funeral on Saturday and pay our respects to our beloved teacher, mentor, and coach.

That night, Finn and I sat in bed silently, cuddling, with our hands over my belly.

"_Please don't ever leave me."_ I whispered to Finn.

He bent down and kissed my hair reassuringly. "_Never. Nothing can ever take me away from you and our family. You are my life, my everything."_ He kissed the tears I didn't even know were streaming down my face, and wrapped his arms around me tighter.

"_I love you, Finn. I love you so much."_ We remained in this position for a long time, reflecting on the fragility of life. This was a reminder that the unexpected could happen, and we could not take our time together for granted.

* * *

**Finn:**

We flew back to Lima the next day, and stayed with Rachel's dads. It's sad that it took something like a death to get us back to Ohio, but we were all so busy. I was worried about Rachel on the plane, because she has been getting increasingly uncomfortable, and sitting in one position for a long period of time hurt her back. The plane ride is only about 2 hours, but it takes another hour to get from the airport to Lima, so by the time we arrived at her dads' house, she was exhausted and couldn't even eat dinner. I was sure I was going to be doing a late night run tonight.

* * *

It was Saturday, the day of the funeral, so Rachel, her dads, and I all drove together to the church for the memorial service. It was a somber mood, everyone dressed in their dark clothing, but when we walked in, some of our friends did greet us with small smiles. We all hugged and exchanged pleasantries before sitting down and listening to people reminisce about Coach Beiste. Mr. Schue was the last to go up, and he motioned for all of us to join him. We hadn't practiced anything, but we all knew singing would be a great way to say goodbye, so we sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and I had to physically carry Rachel out, she was sobbing so hard.

"_I'm sssory. I just c..can't control myself." _Rachel was covering her face as I set her on a chair outside the chaple. The service was just ending and people were beginning to come out, staring at Rachel as they went. I stood in front of her, preventing them from getting a good view of her, while she composed herself—I knew she would be extremely embarrassed and upset with herself that she was so openly emotional.

Once the crowd died down, I crouched down so I was eye level with Rachel.

"_Are you ok, babe?"_ I was honestly worried. She was all over the place lately, and I don't think she even knew how she would react to things at this point.

She nodded and hugged me, resting her head in the crook of my neck. We then heard a voice calling our names, and turned towards the noise.

"_There you two are. Rachel, darling are you ok? I know you've been crazy emotional lately…"_ I gave Kurt a death glare because who knew how she would respond to him calling her crazy, but she just gave him a tentative smile.

"_I'm alright. Just overwhelmed by all the sadness."_ She took my hand in one of her's, and Kurt's in the other, and we walked to our cars so we could go to the school. I asked all of our friends to meet in the auditorium, just like we did when Dave Karofsky attempted suicide. I think we all needed to be with each other right now.

We walked into the auditorium, and everyone else was already there, sitting in a circle on the stage. I began to sit down on the stage, but realized Rachel was just staring at the floor. I knew it wouldn't be very comfortable for her, so I opened my legs wider, and let her sit between them and lean her body against mine.

She smiled up at me. "_Thanks."_

Once Rachel was settled, we all took turns telling happy stories about Coach Beiste—we wanted to remember her as the joyful, sweet woman she was, not only focus on her sad and unexpected death. After we spent some time doing that, we began to catch up a bit, as we hadn't been together in so long.

"_How's everyone doing?" _I asked looking around at my friends. There had been changes since we last saw each other last, and I wanted to know what everyone was up to.

"_Well,"_ Mercedes spoke up first. "_I am seeing someone, and it's really serious. His name is Andre Green, and he is amazing. I can totally see myself with him forever."_ Her eyes were sparkling as she spoke about Dre—what he was like and what he did for a living—and we were all really happy that she found someone special.

We decided to just go around the circle, so Artie was next. "_I, too, have found someone. Her name is Maya, and she works with me in the studio. It was love at first site for me—not so much for her."_ We all laughed at that, and told him how glad we were that he found love as well.

"_Sam and I broke up."_ Brittany blurted out. _"We joined a commune called Sunshine Seasons, where everyone loves each other."_ We all stared at the two blondes, who were smiling widely. Both of their hair was down to their waists, and they truly looked like hippies.

Santana was the first to speak up, as she was the most honest and brave of us. "_Wait, what the fuck did you just say? Are you telling us that you and Sam are living in some kind of cult community were you all fuck each other?"_ Her voice and face looked disgusted by the fact that she needed to ask this question.

Sam nodded enthusiastically. "_Oh, yeah! It's amazing. We all work together in the fields during the day, and then sing, dance, and have sex around the camp fire, under the stars. It's magical."_ He and Brittany were looking at each other like they were the happiest people on the planet, and no one really knew what to say. I'm sure Santana would get some more details out of them later, but as long as they weren't really being manipulated, I think we were all ok with their lifestyle choice as long as they were happy.

_"Um, ok. I guess I'll go now. "_ Said Blaine, looking a bit bewildered. "_As you all know, I'm the co-host of the Today Show, and it is a dream come true. But, like everyone else, my significant other is what truly brings me the most joy. I love you Kurt." _He picked up Kurt's hand and kissed it, and every one 'awed' at their cuteness.

"_I love you too, Blaine." _He said, with his eyes on Blaine's. Then he turned towards the rest of the group again. "_I've been working with Rachel Zoe, the fabulous stylist to the stars, but I wanted to do more. So, I applied for a position at the Alexander McQueen fashion house in New York City, and just found out I got the job. I am now the head fashion forecaster for the company. That means I will assist the design teams on what is current and popular, and have input in the final looks in the collections. In a nutshell, it's what I've done my whole life with Rachel, but now I get paid for it."_

He got a laugh out of everyone, including Rachel with that comment. Although, I was still surprised, because I didn't know he was even looking for a new job. The only person who looked like he knew was Blaine, which was expected. Everyone shouted congratulations and then we moved on to Tina, who was seated next to Kurt.

"_Well, I'm still a teacher, and it's amazing and so rewarding to see my young students learn and appreciate music. In my personal life," _Tina looked over at Mike before continuing. "_Mike asked me to marry him two weeks ago, and I said yes!"_ As soon as those words were out of her mouths, cheers erupted and Kurt was on top of Tina.

Mike was laughing at our reactions. "_We didn't want to say anything in light of what happened, but considering we are going around telling each other about the good things in our lives, we thought it was a good time."_

"_It was a great time, man. We all need to remember the happy things in life, not just the sad. That's what funerals bring to light; we have to be happy with the life we have, because life is so fragile."_ I said.

"_You're absolutely right, Finn."_ Puck said. It was his first time speaking since we saw him. We all turned our attention to him, eyes firmly on him and ears ready to listen. No one really knew what he was up to lately, and we were all curious.

"_I have been hating myself for the past couple of years. I thought I was a failure, because you all got out and are doing great and huge things, while I was bartending here. But Coach Beiste's death really reminded me that just because I'm still in Lima, doesn't mean I'm a Lima loser. I choose to stay here; I'm not trapped here. I was working with Coach on football before her death, and now I'm going to take over the team as the head coach. I know I can never replace or compare to Coach Beiste, but if I can inspire those boys half as much as she inspired and helped me, my goal will be met."_ He finished his speech with a glistening in his eyes. Everyone sat awestruck by him and his powerful words, and no one wanted to break the silence.

We sat there for a bit, just taking in his wise words, before he broke it. "_Alright. Enough serious philosophy shit. Santana, you're next."_

"_That's a hard act to follow…but I guess I'll try. Finn and I have a successful talent agency and it's pretty awesome. I get to represent some of the biggest names in the business, like Jennifer Laurence, Zac Efron, and Emma Stone. Work is my one true love, and I don't see that changing anytime soon."_ She gave the quintessential Santana smirk, and we all smiled. Santana was focused on work, and work alone—she was not interesting in love, except loving her friends.

It was Rachel's turn now, and she was resting her hand over her bump. "_Well, I'm having twins…"_ She paused when everyone began laughing at her extremely obvious statement.

"_Finn and I are so excited—only three and half more months until they arrive—and we can't wait. While I'm not sleeping, eating, or buying new clothes that fit, I've been writing songs and attending a ton of meetings for the musical. Everything's been pretty great, although Quinn made pregnancy seem so much easier than this."_ She stopped to look at Quinn and she was smiling and her face turned a slight shade of red.

"_Well, babe, you are carrying two babies in that tiny body of yours. What did you expect?"_ That made her turn around and give me an angry glare. She smacked my head, and I just smiled at her lovingly, because with her hormones, this was an everyday occurrence. Plus, I found it sexy… 

_"Finn! If you—Arg! Oh, God!"_ She stopped in the middle of her admonishing me and shouted while holding her belly tighter.

I got really nervous that I'd caused some sort of distress to her and the babies. I sat up straighter and looked at her pained expression. "_Rach, is everything ok? Shit, I'm sorry! I didn't mean what I said."_ I was really beginning to freak out because she had her eyes closed, and she was breathing in and out slowly. It looked like she was going into labor!

"_Rachel? What's happening?"_ Quinn was on her knees in front of Rachel, and everyone else was on their feel surrounding us with worried expressions as well.

"_Rachel! For fucks sake, answer us!"_ Santana finally yelled.

Rachel opened her right eye a bit, and held up a finger to tell us to wait a second. It was dead silent for about a minute longer, and then her body relaxed and she opened her eyes.

"_The babies…they were kicking really hard, I felt like I couldn't breath. I think one of them is right on my ribs or lungs. They've calmed down now, though, and are only kicking a bit."_ She pulled my hands down to her bump, and I instantly felt what she was talking about.

"_Whoa! What are they doing in there, playing soccer?"_ She giggled at my response. You should have felt how it was before. I'm surprised you couldn't see my hands moving from the force.

Everyone else wanted a turn to feel the twins play kickball in Rachel's uterus, and all of their reactions were the same as mine—amazement and excitement.

Quinn was the last to touch Rachel's belly, and she had tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. "_It's amazing, isn't is?"_

"_Hmm yeah. It's still so strange to me though, you know?"_

Quinn laughed and nodded at Rachel's reply. "_It's the weirdest feeling in the world, if you ask me."_ Quinn turned her attention back to our group, who were now almost all on their feet besides Rachel and me. "_I suppose this would be the best time to tell everyone that Tom and I are expecting…"_

Rachel was the first to shout and cheer. "_Quinn! Oh, I'm so happy! Now our kids can be best friends! Finn help me up, I need to hug her!"_ I got up, and then reached down to take each of her hands and pulled her up. Although her bump was pretty large, she was still as light as a feather.

They cried together, and after people had congratulated Quinn, they walked off, hand in hand, talking about baby stuff. She was apparently due at the end of June, only about 4 months after Rachel. It was nice to see so many good things happening to my friends, and even though it took a horrible tragedy to get us together, it was a good reminder that we need to stay in touch, and continue sharing our news with each other.

* * *

The next month went by quickly and before we knew it was a new year. Rachel was due in less than two months, and we still hadn't gotten everything ready. I was beginning to panic that we would run out of time. We both had a rare day off from work, and were spending together it our huge bathtub, surrounding in bubbles.

"_So what do we still need to get before the babies arrive?"_ I asked, as I sucked on her neck.

She moaned at my sensual touch, and relaxed into me even more. "_Kurt has the baby shower all planned, so we will get most of the things we will need then, but we still have to decorate the nursery, and decide on names."_

"_I think we should do a really simple, gender neutral nursery, that way, when they grow out of it, it won't be that much work to change."_ I said. I was not looking forward to painting over and over again, as the kids got older.

"_Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Kurt and I went shopping the other day, and I really like these dark, chestnut brown cribs, so I was thinking we could do a nice cream color on the walls, dark furniture, and then pops of color—red, blue, pink, green, and yellow—with the accessories, like bedding, a rug, and toys."_

_"I like that idea. It sounds perfect." _I squeezed her in my arms and kissing her cheek. I placed my hands over her belly, which was sticking out of the water (along with her growing breasts), and breathed in her ear. "_Now, what about names. I know we've had a lot of differences on this topic, but we should be prepared because Dr. Pope said they could come early."_

She was silent for a while, but I could tell she was thinking. "_I was looking in the book the other day, and found some that I liked…do you want to hear them?"_

"_Of course I do. I have some ideas as well, so we can alternate telling each other names we like."_

Rachel looked nervous to tell me her names, but finally proceeded_. "Ok, what about Milo?"_

I thought about it seriously for a second. "_Hmm I don't know. It's not bad, but it's definitely not my favorite. We can keep it on the list, though. Ok, my turn. How about Collin?"_

She smiled a little, but then a frown appeared on her beautiful features. "_I like it, but it sounds pretty horrible with Christopher, and I want the name to flow. Colin Christopher sounds strange to me."_ I nodded in agreement. I hadn't really though of making sure it sounded good as a full name, but that was important.

_"Alright, so this is the name I love the most…what do you think of the name Jack? We could name him John Christopher Hudson, and then call him Jack, since it's a nickname for John."_ She paused and scooped up some bubbles around her face in embarrassment. "_I don't know why I like it so much, but I just think the name Jack is so cute, and it can also translate into adulthood."_

I looked at her, and then down at her swollen belly_. "John Christopher Hudson…Jack Hudson…Rach, I really love that. It's classic, but not completely overdone, especially the nickname of Jack." _ I was beaming at her and she had unshed tears in her eyes as she smiled right back at me.

"_Really? You like it?"_ Her voice was hopeful.

"_I love it. I think we have our son's name, now we just need our little girl's name. I was kind of intrigued by the name Molly. What are your thoughts on that name?"_

She shrugged a little before answering. "_I think it's an adorable name, but I knew a Molly in middle school, and she was horrible to me. I don't think I'll be able to name our child the same name as someone who made my life hell. What about the name Victoria? Tori for short?"_

I shook my head immediately. "_Same situation. Remember that girl in high school on the cheerios? That was her name, and even though she went by Tori, people still teased her with 'icky vicky'. I don't want our children to have any easy mean nicknames like that."_

Rachel agreed, so we sat there for a while longer, going back and forth with girl's names.

"_I'm actually shocked you haven't suggested Fanny, Barbara, Maria, Elphaba, Patti, or any other of your favorite idols or characters._

She giggled at my astonishment. "_I love all of those people, real and fictional, but I would never ever want my kids to be named after them. There are some pretty unfortunate names out there, and the ones that aren't would only remind me of the person or character, rather than our child."_

"_Well I, for one, am certainly glad to hear that. No offense, but I was not looking forward to having a little Elphaba running around the house. I would much rather have a little Olivia or something."_ I laughed at the image in my head—a tiny green witch—but when I saw Rachel's serious look I stopped.

"_What did I say?"_ I was confused, and worried that I had said something to upset her.

She smacked me playfully. "_Finn! Every time I'm silent or thinking does not automatically mean I mad at you. I know I'm moody, but give me a little more credit than that."_

"_Sorry."_ I said, smiling sheepishly. 

_"And, for your information, I was picturing what you just said, and it was nice."_ She was smiling, but I began to grimace.

"_You can't be serious. I just used Elphaba as a joke. We are not naming our daughter that."_

She got up off of my lap and backed to the other side of the tub, so she was facing me. Our legs were still intertwined, but I no longer felt her belly under my hands.

She must have seen my disappointed look, because she quickly came over to me and kissed my frown away. "_Honey, I wasn't talking about that name. I was picturing a tiny Olivia running around the house with a little Jack, and I thought it was perfect."_

I looked at her, seeing if she was lying, but I could tell she really loved the name. "_Olivia? You like it? I was sure you were going to shoot it down as soon as I mentioned it, so I wasn't even planning on suggesting it. But it is definitely my favorite girls name. Olivia Claire Hudson…"_ I smiled as I said the whole name out loud and so did Rachel.

"_Finn Hudson, do we have two beautiful baby names picked out? John Christopher Hudson and Olivia Claire Hudson?"_

_"Why Mrs. Hudson, I believe we do."_ I pulled her on top of my naked body and stroked her wet hair as I kissed down her neck.

She reached down and grabbed my length, catching me completely off guard. "_Oh, Rach…"_ I groaned, as she quickened her motion. I put my own hands on her thighs, and pulled her so she was straddling me. She kept the pace though, and I was close to losing it under her touch. I took her tender breasts and lightly fondled them with my fingertips until her nipples hardened.

"_Mmm Finn."_ She was moaning out in pleasure. I gently tugged at her hands and pulled them away from full and hard erection. I sunk my hands further into the water, until I found her opening, and slipped a finger inside her. I felt how wet she was, but teased her even more by starting an agonizingly slow circular movement with my index finger. I pushed another finger into her, and her breathing was raspy and labored.

"_Finn..I need you! Please!"_

I circled a few more times before slowly entering my length into her body. We both gasped and shouted out in utter bliss at the sensation, and we instantly moved our hips in a fast, frantic motion. I could feel her spasm and uncontrollable shaking, knowing she was right on the edge. I knew exactly where and how to hit her g-spot, so I swiveled my hips in a motion so that my length would slam right into it.

She picked up the pace, and I was falling apart under her. Her eyes were blazing with love and desire, and her beauty amazed me in that moment. Her breasts were full and perky, her round belly pressed against my sweaty body, and her pants full of delight, made me orgasm violently, with her hot on my heels. We sat in the water to catch our breath, but it had gotten cold during our very hot sex, so we got out, dried off, and went to our bed for round two and three.

Pregnant Rachel was unbelievably horny, although, come to think of it, Rachel had always loved sex, it just usually took place in the bed. Now, we were fucking on the counter, couch, piano, floor, basially anywhere. Name a place, and I'm sure we have either already had sex there, or are on our way. I wasn't complaining. I was horny all the time, whether she was pregnant or not, so it was a win-win situation for me.


	12. You Make My Dreams Come True

**Disclaimer: I do not own glee. The chapter title comes from "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall and Oats**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Rachel:**

I can't believe it is March 1st already, and I only have 15 more days until my due date. We have finished the nursery, and had the baby shower, so now all we are waiting for is the twin's arrival. I am enormous, but it doesn't stop me from attending my prenatal yoga class with Quinn, Santana, and Kurt. I know it's strange that my two friends, who are clearly not pregnant, attend class with Quinn and I, but Santana and Kurt say it's a great workout, so they join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It was a Wednesday today, and class was over, so we were on our way to the little café we liked to eat lunch at after our class.

_"Damn, that class was hard today."_ Santana said as she was wiping her brow and catching her breath still.

I looked at her incredulously. "_Are you serious right now, San? Try doing it nine months pregnant! With twins!"_ I was motioning towards my large belly as I spoke. It really was very difficult, but I like the way it kept me in shape, and Dr. Pope said keeping in shape helps with labor.

Santana had the decency to look a little embarrassed and muttered a 'sorry'. I don't think anyone, not even Quinn, knew how miserable I had been lately. I love my babies already, but I needed them to get out of me now. My back hurt, my ankles were swollen, and I had to pee every ten minutes. Not to mention the mood swings and absolute exhaustion that controlled my every move.

"_So, Quinn, how are you feeling?"_ Kurt said. I could tell he was trying to steer the conversation away from the brutal workout, and my constant discomfort.

"_I'm feeling great. I only had a tiny bit of morning sickn-"_ Quinn instantly stopped when she realized what she was saying. "_I'm sorry, Rachel. I know how hard your pregnancy had been…"_ She looked sincerely sorry that her pregnancy was going so smoothly compared to mine.

"_No, it's fine. I'm happy you're having an easier time. Don't shy away from talking about it just because I'm moody, and want the babies to come out. It's exciting! You only have about four months left. He will be here before we know it."_

She smiled at me. "_I know! But look who's talking. The twins could be here any day now—that's exciting!"_

All four set of eyes traveled to my huge stomach and just stared at the sheer size of it. I think secretly, everyone had been terrified I wouldn't be able to carry twins since I'm so small, but I was doing it. And almost to full term too.

"_Can we please know the names! I hate calling them 'the twins' or the 'babies', when you and Finn have already decided on names."_ Kurt sounded exasperated. We had chosen to keep the named to ourselves.

"_Guys, I've told you, we are not telling a soul until they are born."_ I said smugly. We had already told them the sexes; we wanted to keep something a surprise. Plus, we had received some great advice. "_A couple in our Lamaze class told us to that with their first child, they told all of their family and friends, and everyone had an opinion or story about knowing this person or that person the same name. They ruined the name for them, and they really loved it before all those negative opinions came out. With their second child, they didn't tell anyone, and when he was born, everyone said they loved the name. No one is going to say they hate the name once you've already given it to the baby. That would be horribly mean."_ I looked at Kurt and saw him conceed.

_"If you think this will stop me from telling you like it is, you're wrong. If you give my god-children ugly names, when you and Finn die, I'm totally changing them."_

"_Thanks, Santana. I'm glad to hear that." _I laughed, as did everyone else. "_Finn and I love the names, and I think you guys will too. They are adorable…at least I think so. And if you hate them, wait at least ten years to tell us, or else we will be devastated. Deal?"_

"_Deal_" everyone said in unison.

"_Ok, now that that's settled, let's eat. I'm starving!"_

After a morning workout and lunch with the girls, I came home and rested on the couch. The babies have been really active lately, and sleeping through the night is already a problem, and they are still in utero. Finn had gotten home about an hour ago, and was taking a call in his office.

"_Hey, Babe, you're awake."_ He kissed my lips and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. "_I'm glad you got some sleep. I know it's been hard with the twins kicking like crazy."_

I just closed my eyes again under his touch. He was stroking my hair, and it always felt so good. "_Hmmm, yeah, it felt nice. Although they are still so active! Every couple of minutes, I feel them moving around a lot, and then it's pretty quiet, but it just starts up again." _Finn was giving me a funny look. "_What?"_ I asked, still in a daze from my nap.

"_Uh, Rach…how long has this been going on?"_

"_I don't know. It probably started while I was out to lunch with the girls and Kurt. It was a tough workout today, so I'm sure I'm just recovering."_ He was still giving me a strange look, and it was freaking me out.

"_Did the thought that this could be labor ever cross your mind?"_ He was staring at me intensely, and he gently lifted my shirt to feel my bare belly.

My eyes bulged out of my head, and I gasped. "_You think I'm in labor right now?"_ I looked down at his hands on my stomach and felt the pain again. "_Ow! Oh, shit! I'm in labor!"_ I was being to panic because I hadn't even gotten a hospital bag ready yet.

"_Sweetheart, please calm down."_ He stroked my hair again, knowing it was the best way to relaz me._ "I'll Dr. Pope and see what she wants us to do. It seems like they are still pretty far apart, so we have time."_ He peered into my eyes lovingly, and waited until I nodded to call the doctor.

"_Hi. This is Finn Hudson, and I was calling because I think my wife may be in labor."_ He listened to the person on the other line for a second before answer some of the questions. "_Ok, thanks so much. Bye."_ He hung up and came towards me again. "_She said that we should just wait to come to the hospital until your contractions are 5-6 minutes apart, otherwise, we will be sent home. She recommended you take a warm, relaxing bath while we wait, and said you probably shouldn't eat anything other than ice cubes, just in case they need to do an emergency C-section._"

I visibly flinched at the word C-section, because that kind of terrified me. I knew it was a possibility, since I was so small and it would be difficult for me to push them out naturally, but surgery did not sound fun. Finn helped me up, and we walked to the guest bathroom so I didn't have to go up any stairs. He sweetly undressed me, and then assisted me in getting into the tub safely.

"_I'll be right back. I think I should call our parents so they can get here as soon as possible. They would be devastated if they missed this, but it looks they those two have minds of their own already."_ He smiled as he walked out to the kitchen to call and grab me some ice.

I let my head fall back, and relaxed my entire body in the hot water. It felt amazing, and I really wasn't hurting yet, so I was starting to think that the birth wouldn't be too bad. After about 5 minutes, I began to feel my insides tightening and a sharp pain deep within my belly.

"_Oh!"_ I gritted my teeth together, willing myself not to yell out in pain. Finn came back in then, and took one look at my face before running over to the side.

"_Another one?"_ He asked, and looked down at his watch. I nodded as best as I could, but I was a little busy. "_Ok, so this means your contractions are less than 8 minutes apart."_

I squeezed my eyes shut, and rode out the pain until it ceased. I took a deep breath I hadn't known I was holding and felt my rigid and tense body fall back into the soothing water. "_What did our parents say?"_ I was trying to change the subject because I didn't want to think about the fact that the pain was on its way back in about 7 minutes.

"_They were a little shocked and panicked, but really excited. They decided that even at such late notice, flying would be fastest, so they are going to the airport and fly standby. Hopefully the babies can wait another day to come out?"_ He directed this question to my belly, and I laughed.

"_Sorry Finn. I don't think they can understand you since I've been telling them for months to stop kicking the shit out of me, but they never stopped."_ I could feel my face get red with a blush._ "Actually, I really hope they can't understand us because I was cursing worse than Santana earlier."_ Finn kissed my forehead in reassurance, and chuckled at me.

"_We should probably let everyone else know, too. Could you call them?"_

* * *

I am so glad we didn't panic and go straight to the hospital, because my labor didn't pick up until early the next morning. Dr. Pope told us that some women go through days of contractions before they are actually in full fledging labor.

It was 5 AM, and I would call what I was currently going through full-fledged labor. I woke up multiple times in the night in serious pain from the contractions, but they didn't start coming regularly 4 minutes apart until just now.

"_Finn! It's time to go to the hospital."_ I managed to shout through the contraction that recently started. They only lasted about a minute or two, but it was intense.

"_What!?"_ He shifted a bit in bed, not really awake yet. Then, as if he finally realized what I said, his entire body shot up out of bed, and he was running around our bedroom._ "Fuck! Ok, we have your bag packed…what else do we need?"_ He looked alarmed as he stared at me.

"_Relax."_ I took a couple of calming breaths that I learned in Lamaze class, before finishing. "_We got everything ready last night. All we have to do is get dressed and call the front desk for a cab."_ I shuffled over to the closet and pulled on black leggings and an oversized black sweater—I couldn't care less what I wore since I was going to be in a hospital gown soon enough. My hair, on the other hand, I decided to spend a little extra time on. Kurt would kill me, and end up doing it himself if I showed up to the hospital without at least combing my hair. Plus, I'm sure millions of pictures would be taken and sent around to our friends, and I didn't want to look like a complete mess. I figured hair up and away from my face would be best, so I quickly braided my bangs into a French braid, pinned it back, and then pulled the rest into a ponytail.

"_Ready, Babe?"_ Finn peered into the bathroom as I was bending over the counter and breathing through another contraction. He took my hand and I squeezed it so tightly I saw his face go white, but he didn't say anything.

We made it to the hospital in ten minutes since it was still so early. We had called Kurt, Quinn, Santana, and our parents—who were already here and staying in a hotel for the night—on our way. As soon as we walked into the hospital, I was assisted into a wheel chair and whisked off to the maternity ward. It was a great hospital, and we had specifically chosen it because so many other celebrities had giving birth here and they knew how to deal with prying paparazzi. I was 100% ready to meet the twins, but not at all ready to share this precious moment with the rest of the world. They would have to wait.

About an hour later, everyone arrived to my room, and we were all talking animatedly. Every three minutes or so, though, silence took over all of my friends and family as I suffered another contraction.

"_Hehehoo hehehoo" _ I was desperately trying to remember the breathing exercises I had been taught in my class, but as soon as the pain hit, it was nearly impossible. I was crying at this point, and I know I cry a lot, but this was different and everyone around me knew it.

* * *

**Finn:**

Rachel was as white as her sheets, and she was crying out in extreme pain. It was so hard for me to watch her like this, and as I looked around, I saw almost everyone was just as effected. We all knew Rachel was strong and had an amazing tolerance for pain—we have witnessed it time and time again—but if she was reacting this severely, I was afraid to know how bad the pain was.

"_Finn"_ she breathed out between sobs and contractions. "_I..it…Oh god!"_ She was whimpering and shaking from the sheer amount of agony she was feeling. Her eyes began to close, and I breathed out a sigh of relief, thinking that her contraction had passed and she was simply relaxing into bed.

I was wrong. The machine hooked up to her began making wild noises, and nurses rushed in. I was in a daze, just staring down at my wife, while the nurses ushered the rest of the group out. There faces where full of panic and unshed tears as they snuck a peak at Rachel on their way out.

The noises stopped almost as soon as the nurses fiddled with some things by her bed, and Rachel's eyes were open. She had an oxygen mask covering her mouth, but she looked ok.

I turned to our nurse, and asked her my frantic questions. "_What happened? Is she ok? What about the twins?"_

She smiled at me, and patted my shoulder. "_Everything's fine. I know it sounds scary, but those just make that noise so we will hear it in the hall. Rachel's pain is causing her blood pressure to dip very low, which causes extreme sleepiness and poor circulation. She just got really tired when her blood pressure got too low."_ She flashed me another reassuring smile. "_It happens frequently in pregnant women, but especially in smaller women, who happen to be carrying twins. It's nothing to worry about; we will just keep an eye out and monitor it closely."_ She turned back to check on Rachel before walking out the door again.

As soon as the nurse was out, everyone else flooded back in with concern written all over their faces.

"_Darling, are you alright? You just about gave your dad a heart attack."_ Her daddy whispered closely to her.

Rachel smiled. "_Sorry."_ She looked a bit sheepish, but color was back in her cheeks. "_I was just so tired all of a sudden, and the pain was too much."_ She looked around and then put her head down as she muttered something under her breath.

"_What was that, Babe?"_ I leaned down so I could look into her eyes. They had tears in them, and I reflexively grabbed her hand.

"_I..I think…I want an epidural." _She looked ashamed and dejected as she said it.

I took her face in my hands, and willed her to look at me, and only me. "_Rach, there is absolutely no shame in having an epidural. I know I couldn't do what you're doing without twenty epidurals_." I relaxed a bit when a smile slowly found her lips.

"_Oh, honey. I totally had one with Finn. It was the best thing in the world! It made me actually enjoy the whole process, rather than hate his father's guts for ever touching me."_ My mom said laughingly. That made Rachel feel better, and Blaine went to go find our nurse to let her know that they should send in the anesthesiologist.

Quinn came up and grabbed Rachel's hand in her own. "_Rach, believe me. I was begging for an epidural when I had Beth, but it was too late. I am getting one, without a doubt, with Conner (that's what they decided to name their son), and no one is stopping me." _

* * *

It was 2:45 in the afternoon, and Rachel was finally able to sleep because she had her pain managed with the epidural. The last time Dr. Pope had checked Rachel, she was nearly 8 centimeters dilated, meaning she only had 2 more to go.

I was laying with Rachel on the bed, arms curled around her, when I felt something on my leg. I lifted it up and saw a wet splotch on the sheets. I immediately pushed the call button on the side of the bed and hopped out.

"_What happened?"_ The nursed called as she jogged in.

"_I..I think her water broke…but she hasn't woken up or felt it."_ I was confused because Rachel was still sound asleep, and you'd think she would notice that her water just broke.

"_Oh, no. She wouldn't feel it because the epidural makes her numb from the waist down."_ She lifted up the covers and checked the liquid, nodding and smiling as she called for the doctor. "_It's clear, which is good. It looks like the twins are coming."_ She gently placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder to wake her up. Rachel's eyes flickered opened, and when she saw my huge grin, she looked down and saw the water stain on her covers.

"_Oh, wow. This epidural really is magical. It don't feel a thing besides pressure down there."_ She was smiling and laughing as the doctor came in.

"_Looks like we are all ready Rachel. I'm just going to feel you, and make sure that their heads are the right way, and you are able to do this naturally."_ She placed a gloved hand inside Rachel, and I mentally thanked grilled cheesus I was a man, because this did not look fun at all. "_Alright, we are good to go. Ready to start pushing? Did you want anyone else in here with you?"_

Rachel and I shook our heads, We couldn't pick just one person to come in here and experience this with us, so we decided that it would be the two of us, and they would all get to see the twins at the same time. Rachel sat up, and placed her legs in the stirrups, while I stood by her head and held her hand.

"_Ok, Rachel. Start pushing."_ Rachel scrunched up her face and began pushing. "…_7, 8, 9, 10. Good, Rachel. Just like that. It was perfect."_ Dr. Pope said encouragingly.

Rachel pushed for nearly 20 minutes until making any visible progress. "_I see the head! Only a couple more pushes, and you will have one baby out."_ Dr. Pope had all of her tools ready to go, and I was curious as to how close the baby really was, so I took a peak.

"_Rach! The baby is right there! You can do this."_ I came back to her side and kissed her sweaty forehead, but she just gave me a dirty look.

"_I thought you promised you wouldn't look down there!"_ She actually looked pissed at me, and I shrank back a little before I started to chuckle.

"_Yell at me later. We have some babies to meet."_ She smiled at me, gave me the middle finger, but then went back to pushing. I was practically howling at the fact that my wife, Rachel, just flicked me off in the delivery room. I was so happy that she got the epidural because this was supposed to be the happiest time of our lives, but every movie we saw on birthing looked mortifying and horrible. This, right now, was how giving birth should be like.

"_One more push, Rachel! You've got it!"_

Rachel took a deep breath in and gave one last push before we heard the wonderful sound of our baby crying.

"_It's a boy! Daddy, would you like to cut the cord?"_ I eagerly did so, and took in my beautiful baby boy. The nurses whisked him away to clean him off, but Rachel was not done—it was time for his sister to make her entrance into the world now.

"_I know you are exhausted, but you need to keep pushing."_ Dr. Pope gave Rachel a stern look, and Rachel laid her head on the pillow for a split second before finding her resolve and started to push once more.

"_Finn, I don't think I can do it any more. I'm so tired."_ She was taking a break in between pushing, and she was dripping sweat and her eyes were flickering closed in exhasution.

I took her chin and pulled in up. "_You are Rachel Berry Hudson. You can do this! Just a couple more pushes and we will have our little girl."_ I kissed her nose and kept my forehead to hers.

"_O..Ok. Let's do this!"_ She put her game face on, and it totally took me back to when she played football junior year. She looked just as adorable and fierce.

In three more pushes, we hear the cry of our baby girl. I cut her umbilical cord too, and then they took her away to clean and measure her. She was placed besides her brother and the nurse wheeled them over to Rachel and me. Rachel was a crying mess, but she was hugging me close, while I whispered 'I love you' into her ear continuously.

I reached in and took my son (my son!) in my arms and placed him in Rachel's, and then picked up my daughter (my daughter!) and held her to my chest. We simply stayed like that—holding our babies and staring at them—for minutes, before either of us spoke.

"_Wow…I didn't know this was possible. To love you more than I already did, and to somehow find room in my heart for two more tiny humans. God, I love you so much, Rach."_

Rachel was beaming as she smiled up at me. "_I know what you mean. I don't have any words for how much I love you right now. We created these beautiful, perfect beings…"_ She was tearing up again, and I sat on the edge of the bed so I could reach over and thumb away the wetness from her eyes.

"_Welcome to the world, John Christopher Hudson and Olivia Claire Hudson. You two are so unbelievably loved already."_ I smiled at her as she kissed my lips slowly and passionately. We wanted to stay like this—just the four of us—for a while longer, so we waited about ten more minutes before I set Olivia down in Rachel's other arm and went to the waiting room.

I had just turned the corner, when I heard cheering and shouting from the end of the hall. The first person I saw was Santana, with Kurt close behind, running straight for me. She almost tackled me to the grown, but luckily, I was able to grab onto the wall beside me to keep upright.

"_What the hell took so long!"_ Santana yelled. She was glaring at me with her hands on her hips, waiting impatiently for my reply.

I put up my hands in a defensive stance. "_Whoa, I'm sorry. Rachel was just pushing two babies out of a very small opening. I'll go let her know she took too long for your liking."_ I began to walk away, but she grabbed my arm to stop me.

"_I'm sorry. That was a bitchy thing to say…I was just worried that it was taking so long because she couldn't get them out of her…"_ She was looked down at her feet, and I had to smirk.

"_It's fine, just don't say anything like that to Rach. She was pushing for more than an hour, and she is exhausted."_

Kurt put his hand up to stop me from talking. "_A much as I'd love to hear all about the birthing process, I would much rather be doing it next to Rachel and the babies."_

I surveyed the room and saw that all of our family and friends were nodding violently in agreement. I chuckled but motioned them to follow behind me. "_Ok, right this way…"_

When we entered the room, Rachel was smiling down at the babies, and talking quietly to them. When she noticed that I had brought everyone in, her smile widened. "_Hi! Are you ready to meet them?"_

"_Oh, for the love of all things fashion! Please, tell us their names!"_ Kurt was practically bouncing with anticipation, as was everyone else.

Rachel looked at me, and then back down to the twins. "_Meet John Christopher Hudson," _She paused while I picked him up and took him into my arms so everyone could get a closer look. "_born March 2nd, 2019 at 3:57 pm; weighing in at 6lbs 6oz, and measuring 19 ½ inches long."_ She peered down at the baby girl sleeping now in her arms and introduced her. "_And Jack's little sister, Olivia Claire Hudson, was born at 4:05 pm; weighing 6lbs 1oz, and measuring 18 inches long."_ Since she was peacefully sleeping in Rachel's arms, everyone just gathered around her to take a look.

My mom and Rachel's dads were crying tears of joy, and Quinn had tears in her eyes as well. "_They are gorgeous. I have two grandchildren! I feel so old!"_ My mother said as she hugged me and then took Jack from my arms.

I smirked at her. "_Mom, you are only like 51 years old."_ She gave me a death glare at having revealed her age to the entire room, but as soon as she peaked down at her grandson, all anger was forgotten.

"_Can I just say that I love the names! You can ask Blaine, I've been a mess the past couple of weeks, thinking I was going to have to call my niece and nephew Fanny and Han Solo. Jack and Olivia are perfect! I don't think I could have picked cuter, more adorable names for your twins myself."_

I pulled Kurt into a hug and patted his back. "_Thanks man, it means a lot.'_ And it really did mean a lot to us that our family loved the names that we picked.

"_I agree."_ Santana announced, as she tried to sneak Olivia from Rachel's arms. "_I won't have to change them if you both keel over."_ Rachel giggled, and allowed her to take Olivia's tiny sleeping form into her arms.

The babies were passed around for another hour, while we visited with our loved ones, but I could tell Rachel was dying of exhaustion, so I ushered everyone out. The babies were taken down to the nursery for the night, and I climbed into bed beside Rachel.

"_We have a two babies, Rach."_ I whispered into her neck in astonishment. I just couldn't believe that we would be taking home our two little angels tomorrow.

She smiled and kissed my lips. "_I know. They're all ours."_ We snuggled in the small bed, and drifted off to sleep, knowing it was one of the last nights we would get to sleep through the night for a while.

* * *

April

I was right…the first six weeks with the twins was brutal on our health. We were both so tired all the time, and the lack of sleep was making us susceptible to illness. Rachel had just gotten over a horrible cold, and now I had it. Our parents stayed for a few days after Jack and Olivia were born, but they had jobs, so now we were alone. Our friends would come by and visit often, but that really didn't make a difference when it was 2 in the morning, and one, or both, of the babies were screaming. There wasn't too much I could do, other than get up and keep Rachel company while she breast fed them. I felt beyond awful that I couldn't be of more help, but I didn't have the milk they so desperately wanted.

However, all the sleepless nights were worth it when we went into the nursery and saw their beautiful faces staring up at us. I am almost certain that they recognize the both of us as their mom and dad, and the feeling I got when they stopped crying as soon as I took them in my arms was indescribable. I love all of the bonding time I get to have with them, even if it is really early in the morning.

Luckily, our sleepless nights are mostly over, thanks to Rachel and her organization skills. Dr. Pope told us to get the twins on a schedule as soon as possible, and stick to it. She explained that once their bodies got used to the sleep, eat, poop, repeat schedule, they would be sleeping through the night, and it worked!

Rachel is an amazing mom, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job myself (I haven't dropped them yet!). We try to squeeze some alone time in between naps, but it's difficult with me having to go to work and all. Rachel is able to work on her song writing at home—while the twins are sleeping or just chilling—but I have to actually go into the office to keep my businesses running smoothly. I usually work a 9-5 work day, but sometimes I can come home early and finish work in the home office. This means that Rachel is pretty much at home all day, everyday, with Jack and Liv. She only leaves the apartment to attend her 7:30 am Pilates class, which I have no clue how she even has energy for—she is inhuman. She definitely seems to be back to her pre-pregnancy self, and almost always has a smile on her stunning face and energy to spare.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to put her copious amounts of energy to good, sexual, use until now. We were told to abstain from sex for six weeks, and today is six weeks exactly from the twins' birth…I've been counting down this day for a while now, not that I only think about sex, but come on! My wife is beautiful and so sexy, and watching her care for Jack and Olivia is one of the biggest turns on ever. I'd have to be blind and crazy to not want to have sex with Rachel. I just wish I could be so confident in her desire to have sex with me.

Lately, Rachel has been a little self-conscious of her post-baby body. She has been getting dressed in the bathroom or walk-in closest, rather than in our bedroom where I can see. She still lets me cuddle and touch her, but I can tell she is a little nervous about unveiling herself to me. I talked to Kurt about it, and he said that she just needs time to get comfortable in her own skin again. Today, he is taking her out for some shopping and spa time with the girls, so maybe he, Santana, and Quinn will help her see that she is beautiful.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and I got up to answer it with Jack still in my arms. He had been crying earlier and as soon as I picked him up and placed him against my chest, he was out cold. I opened the door to three familiar faces, and motioned for them to come inside.

"_Rachel will be right down. I think she was trying to find something to wear."_ I said to them.

Kurt began making a move for the stairs. "_I'll go help, or else this could take all day."_ He went up to our room, and Quinn, Santana, and I headed back to the family room where Olivia was still sleeping in the portable bassinette.

"_O gosh! They are so cute!"_ Quinn quietly murmured. She was absentmindedly holding her baby belly, and I knew she was excited to meet her own little bundle of joy.

"_I must admit, you and Rach have made two mighty fine looking babies. I'm still so shocked they have no hair though."_ She was very gently stroking Olivia's baldhead.

"_I know, right. Rachel and I thought they would come out with a full head of dark hair, but here they are, six weeks later, and still as bald as the day they were born. My mom told us I was bald for like, five months, though, so I guess they take after me." _I smiled down at my tiny sleeping son in my arms.

Quinn looked critically between the twins and I a couple times, before speaking again. "_They look just like you Finn. Rachel was showing me your baby pictures the other day, and they are exact carbon copies of you. Same little mouth, nose, eye shape. I think the only thing they inherited from Rachel are her deep chocolate brown eyes."_

I smirked, because it was true. They looked just like me, but they did have little bits of Rachel as well. "_I think Jack also got his mommy's lungs, because, let me tell you, when he starts crying, I'm sure he would wake up Manhattan if we hadn't sound proofed the apartment."_ Everyone laughed, knowing it was true.

"_Hey! I think he has a wonderful voice."_ Rachel shouted as she came down the stairs with Kurt. She walked over and placed a small peck on Jack's forehead, and then Olivia's, before placing a nice big kiss on my lips. "_We should get going. Bye! I love and miss you three already!"_

"_Bye! Please relax and have fun. We will be perfectly fine."_ I waved them all goodbye, and then went back to my perch on the couch. Damn! My arms were getting tired. Maybe he wouldn't notice if I just place him next to his sister…I began to shift him in my arms, away from my warm body, and I saw his head jerk a bit. I really didn't want him to start crying and wake up Liv, but I had work that I needed to finish and Jack needed to learn to sleep outside of Rachel or my arms.

He was about a millisecond from screaming, but I placed him next to his sister in the bassinette anyways. They were facing each other, and as soon as he felt the contact of Olivia's skin, he closed his mouth, and fell back to sleep in an instant. It was the most precious thing I had ever seen, so I got our new, professional grade camera out to take some pictures. Rachel had insisted we purchase it so we could take really great photos, and right now, I was so happy we had. I also snapped one on my phone and sent it to Rachel, her dads, and my mom, with the caption: **Sleeping buddies and best friends**."

* * *

**Rachel:**

We had just reached our first shopping destination, when I received the text from Finn. I was grinning down at the picture, about to send back a reply, when Santana came over.

"_What's on you phone? Did Finn send you another stupid pun about your boobs, because I have to see it."_ She yanked my phone out of my hand before I could react.

I huffed, but was still smiling. "_No. Actually, it's probably the most adorable picture ever taken."_ Once I said this, Quinn and Kurt become interested too. They looked over Santana's shoulder to get a look at the photo.

"_Holy shit! That really is the cutest thing I've ever seen…though I am a little disappointed it was a hilarious boob pun."_ Santana yelled loudly, and I blushed a little when I saw all the heads turn our direction.

"_Aww Rach, they are precious! I can't believe I get to call them my niece and nephew, but, this is baby free time, so tell that brother of mine to stop sending you baby porn and leave us alone. We need to prepare you for tonight…"_ He began to walk away as he spoke the last words, so I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly.

"_Excuse me? What about tonight?"_ I looked at him questioningly. He couldn't be talking about what I thought he was, could he?

"_You know exactly what I mean. Tonight's the big night that you and Finn can finally get hot and heavy again."_ He winked at me, and I flinched.

"_I…Kurt, I don't think I'm ready yet…"_ I stuttered out.

Quinn came over to me and put her arm around my shoulder. "_Why don't you feel ready?"_ She asked, honestly curious as to why I wasn't ready. She didn't make it sound like I was being stupid so I turned to her with tears in my eyes.

"_I feel so different from before. I thought my body would just snap back into the exact body I had before, but it's totally not."_ I took a couple steps, and began to browse through the racks to distract myself from the conversation.

They all followed me, passing looks between the three of them as they came over. Kurt took my hands and pulled them into both of his. "_Sweetie, of course your body will be different—you just had twins!—but you look phenomenal."_ His expression and voice seemed genuine, but I still didn't believe him.

Quinn took my hands next, and looked at me seriously. "_You're beautiful, Rach. It took me months to fit back into my clothes again after I had Beth, but you're wearing your pre-pregnancy clothes already! In about three months, when Conner comes around, I will be killing to have your genes that allow you to get your body back so fast."_ I laughed a little, but I still looked away.

"_You guys are just trying to make me feel better about myself. I know I don't have my pre-pregnancy body back—I see it in the mirror everyday."_ I pulled my shirt away from my skin, suddenly feeling like it was too tight.

Santana came strutting over, and strongly pulled my hands away from my shirt. "_This is fucking ridiculous! Listen, Hudson, I am the only honest bitch in this circle, and you know I won't sugar coat this. Your body has changed since you got pregnant-"_ She paused when she felt a jab to her ribs from Quinn. She gave her a very Santana-esque look, before continuing. "_As I was saying, you don't have the exact same body as before…it's ten times better. You actually have boobs, rather than those mosquito bites you had before. Your legs, ass, and abs are the same, if not better, from all the Pilates you are doing, and your face it brighter and like, glow-y. So, in conclusion, you look like a smokin' hot MILF, and you better let Finn know it."_

I stood there stunned into silence, but Santana couldn't take the staring anymore, so she dragged me to the fitting rooms, and yelled for Kurt and Quinn to pick out some sexy items for the 'show' I was going to be putting on tonight. I had an idea of what she meant by that, and conceeded because Finn deserved a show after the distance I've placed between us physically as of late. And a show he would get…

We spent the rest of the day shopping and going to the spa. It was the most needed spa day of my life. I thought I had been tired and sore after being in a movie and musical back to back for a year? That was nothing compared to pushing two 6lb. babies out of my vagina and tending to their every need for the past six weeks—I loved Jack and Liv to pieces, but mommy needed some 'me' time too.

I had purchased some new clothes that fit my body now—they were right, I could still fit into my previous size—so I guess I'd had a warped view of myself when I looked into the mirror. I had to get fitted for new bras, though, which was actually really exciting. I had moved up from a 32 B to a 32C, and Santana had done a little cheer, which made me laugh so hard I was in tears. Next, we went to a luxurious spa at the Mandarin Hotel, where I got a full body and scalp massage, facial, wax, and a wash, trim, and blowout. I had not been taking care of myself that well lately, and this reminded me that I could care for two babies and still look and feel fabulous.

"_Ahh, I feel so much better."_ I breathed out and ran my hand through my newly washed and trimmed hair. My body felt rejuvenated and I felt ready to pounce on Finn as soon as we got home!

"_Well, by the look in your eye, it appears you have your sex drive back, so I say we call it a day. Go home to that beautiful family of yours, and screw the brains out of my brother."_ I smirked, because he was completely right about me being horny.

"_Yuck! Kurt, did you have to say that? He's your step-brother."_ Santana groaned, as she made a disgusted face.

"_San, we know everything about their sex life, so there's no point in beating around the bush. We've all heard each other's stories…"_ I chuckled at his statement. We all told each other everything—I mean everything—so there really was no reason to get shy now. The funny part is, all of our significant others knew we did this, and didn't care since they wouldn't be able to stop us. Finn got over that a long time ago, and so did Blaine and Tom—It was a fact of life that the four of us were going to share every part of our lives with each other.

"_Ok, fine. Rachel, go fuck your husband senseless…and then do it again."_ She laughed at herself, and then walked away to head back to her apartment. Quinn, Kurt, and I all headed to the elevator, as we all lived in the McClover building together—which was super convenient for get togethers and babysitting. They both got off of the elevator on the 16th floor, and said goodbye and good luck. I entered the code to get to our apartment—we were the only apartment on the top two floors—and waited for the elevator to open at the door.

I stepped out, bags in hand, and silently prayed that Finn wasn't on the main level so I could run to the guest room and get changed into some sexy lingerie without him knowing I was home yet. It was my lucky day; he was nowhere in sight, so I crept to the room, and changed into the baby blue, barely their, bra, thong, and tiny sheer night gown. I took a final look in the mirror, and grinned at my reflection. I definitely had more curves, but I liked them., and I was sure Finn would as well. I mused up my hair a bit, pinched my cheeks, and took a deep breath. Then, I went to seduce my unknowing husband…


	13. Lovin' 'For the Sun Goes Down

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Title comes from "Afternoon Delight" by The Starland Vocal Band**

**A lot of steamy Finchel scenes...Enjoy :) **

* * *

I went up stairs and checked the nursery; I saw that the twins were sound asleep, so I tip toed to the master bedroom. I peaked my head inside, and saw Finn sitting on the bed with his laptop on his lap doing work. I smiled to myself, because this was going to be a very welcome surprise.

"Hello, darling."I said seductively, as I stood in the doorway in my skimpy outfit.

"_Hey, Babe."_ Finn returned, not even looking up, and continued typing.

I placed one hand on my hip, and then the rested the other on the doorframe above my head. "_Finn…"_ I purred, and that got his attention. His head snapped up in question at first, but shock and desire soon clouded his features.

"_Oh, man, Rach…"_ He couldn't think of anything else to say, so he continued to stare at my body hungrily, and I enjoyed the attention.

I slowly made my way to the edge of the bed, and shimmied my sheer dress off, so I was only wearing the light blue bra and thong. He drank in my appearance, and I saw the fire behind his eyes burn brighter. I beckoned him over to the end of the bed with my finger, and he quickly placed his computer down and followed my silent command. When he reached me, I took his hands and placed them on my chest, allowing him to really feel me for the first time in a while.

"_Baby..you're beautiful."_ He murmured, as his hands began to move over my breasts, and his lips found my neck. He nibbled and sucked on my neck, picking up the pace when he heard my sighs of pleasure. It drove me wild when he bit my ear, and he knew it, so he took my earlobe in his teeth and began to gently pull. It felt amazing, but I wanted to be in charge tonight, so I couldn't let him distract me.

I pushed his body from mine, and he fell back onto the bed. He looked surprised and impressed that I was able to push him with such force, but I just smirked, and crawled right on top of him. I straddled his torso, as I yanked his t-shirt off of his body. I stroked his hard chest with one finger teasingly, and noticed his pants tightening over his already huge erection. I took that as my cue to take his pants off too, so I found his zipper and unzipped his jeans, and allowed him raise his body just enough to pull them down, his boxers going along with them.

I moved my body closer to his, and kissed my way up his chest to his mouth. Once I reached his mouth, I covered it with my own, giving him a slow, passionate kiss. I darted my tongue out, and rested it against his lips, begging for entry. He opened, and soon we were rolling all over the bed, making out—him completely naked, and me in a bra and panties. Our hands were wandering over the other's body, squeezing and caressing whatever skin we could touch. It was hot, fervent, and loving, and I drank in every minute of the feeling.

I pulled away to catch my breath, and saw the burning in his eyes grow stronger. I maneuvered myself on top of him again, and placed my hands on my breasts. I looked directly at him as I touched myself, and saw his eyes grow wider and darker with want. My hands made their way behind my back, and I unclasped my bra, letting it fall from my breasts. His mouth opened in an "O", and his hands automatically came up to capture them, but shook my head as I stood up on the mattress.

He eyed me with confusion, but I simply discarded my thong, and fell back down to his naked body. Without a word—just staring into his dark amber eyes—I slipped myself onto his length and began a slow rhythm.

"_Oh, God"_ Finn whispered into my hair. He tried to pick up the pace, but I placed my hands on his to slow us down again.

"_Baby, make love to me."_ I managed through my pleasure. I needed him too, but we hadn't been together like this is so long, that I also needed it to be slow and want to make it last.

He understood, and slowed the tempo—thrusting in and pulling out deliberately and unhurriedly. It was agonizing, but at the same time, the best feeling in the world. I moved in small circles with my hips and felt his cock brush every nerve in my body. My walls were pulsing, and I knew we wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"_Let go, love."_ He moaned, and that was all it took. I was on the edge already, so when he gave me permission, I fell and felt my body shake and orgasm around him. He collapsed a few seconds later, and we wrapped our arms around each other, still connected. He brushed my hair from my eyes, and kissed my forehead lovingly.

"_Rach, you're stunning. I love you."_ His hands had moved from my hair and were now stroking over my breasts.

I giggled a bit. "_So you like my bigger boobs, then?"_

"_Oh yes, Mrs. Hudson."_ He winked at me as he continued to feel me up. His fingers trailed from my nipples to my stomach, and then they moved between my legs.

I snapped my head around, and gave him a carnal look. He had just started another fire in my body, and this time, I needed it hard and fast. I repositioned my body on his length, and began to thrust my hips into his hard. Finn's shocked expression quickly left his face, and his erotic and scorching expression came into view.

"_Fuck me.."_ I breathed through my pants.

"_Rach." _He groaned as I kept pushing him deeper and deeper. He stilled my hips, and found my neck with his lips. He was moving in and out of me at a snail's pace, and I couldn't handle it any more.

"_Finn…harder..please!"_ I shouted. I ran my fingers through his tangled hair, and dug my fingernails into his back. I bucked my hips up to meet his, thrust for thrust, and he finally listened and plunged into me faster and harder. It was quicker than the last time, but just as pleasurable—both of us calling out the other's name when we came. Immediately after we screamed out our pleasure, I covered his mouth and he covered mine.

"_Shit! Do you think we woke the babies?"_ I whispered breathlessly as Finn pulled out of me.

We both turned our attention towards the baby monitor sitting on the bedside table, but heard nothing.

"_I think we're safe."_ He smirked at me, but that smirk was quickly replaced with a frown when a wail came out of the speaker.

I laughed and smacked him playfully. "_Spoke too soon. You jinxed it!"_ I got up from bed, and pulled Finn's t-shirt over my naked body and a new pair of panties. "_You coming?"_ I raised an eyebrow at him, but he was still checking me out in his shirt.

He rubbed the back of his neck, and nodded. He slipped his boxers on, and we walked hand-in-hand to the nursery where both of the babies were now up and crying.

"_Aw, Jack, don't cry. Shh."_ I picked him up and cradled him to my chest, kissing his temple. His wails continued, and I knew he was hungry from the sound of the cry. Olivia was crying as well, but her cry was less insistent, so Finn was able to quiet her down by picking her up and rocking her in his large was so good with them, it made my heart swell and my body grown warmer—but I had some babies to feed, so I pushed that second thought away.

I walked over to the comfy rocking chair, and lifted up my shirt to feed Jack first—he was just like his daddy, and needed his food first. Finn had made his way over to the other rocker, and watched me as I situated Jack on my nipple.

"_Like the view, Babe?"_ I asked jokingly, because of course he loved the view of my breasts out in the open. I was sitting in the rocking chair, basically nude, with one of our twins sucking my boob.

_"Mmhmm._" He replied, and we sat in silence, watching Jack, then Olivia, have a turn at eating.

When they were done, we decided that is was probably a good time to get dressed and get our own dinner started. We placed the babies on the blanket on the carpet in the family room, and I went to search the kitchen for something to make. Finn laid on the floor, playing and talking to them, and I couldn't help but think this was perfect. We could have it all—great, mind-blowing, sex, and care for our beautiful family. Every Sunday should be like this!

* * *

**Finn:**

It had been a month since we started having sex again, and we were totally making up for lost time. So many dads that I've talked to said that the sex life goes down the drain once the baby's born, but our is only getting hotter. It's like a game—we have to find times and places where we can get it on between naps and work. Occasionally, Rachel will come to the office with the twins, and while everyone is obsessing over them, we sneak off to my office or a supply closet for a quickie. She went on the birth control shot as soon as possible, so now we don't have to worry about a little sibling for the twins—we are about 99% positive (Rachel was 100%) that two babies were enough to complete our family, and did not want a little surprise!

Today, I would be spending some quality time with the twins, as Rachel had meetings about the musical all day. She came down stairs, wearing a hot red skirt and white blouse, and I had to do a double take.

"_Wow! You look amazing…are you sure you have to leave."_ I grinned at her, and my eyes wandered over her awesome body. Her hair was pulled into a bun and her bangs framed her gorgeous eyes, making me only want her more.

She came over and sat on my lap, feeling my growing erection. "_Sorry, Babe! I really do have to go, but I'll bring back something for dinner. I should be back around 7. What are your plans today?"_ She ran her fingers through my hair, and pulled it so my eyes met hers.

"_Blaine and I are going out to lunch, but after that, the babies and I will probably just hang out at home. Hopefully get some work done, right Olivia?"_ I peered down at my little girl in my arms, and smiled. She was looking directly at me, and I liked to think they knew who I was.

She looked down at Olivia too, but then placed her hands back in my hair. "_Why don't you go get your haircut while your out."_ It wasn't a question, but rather a command. I reached up and ran my fingers through my hair, and realized it had been a while since I got it cut.

"_I'll try, but I can't promise anything. If the twins get too fussy, I'm just coming back here. I don't feel like taking two crying babies to the barber."_ I grimaced just thinking about it. I know we needed to take the babies out and get them used to the fresh air, but something about dealing two screaming babies alone was not appealing to me.

"_Finn, if it's still like this when I come back tonight, I'm taking the razor to your hair myself."_ She took one last pull of my hair, and then leaned over to give all three of us kisses before making her way out the door.

A couple of hours later, Blaine came in (everyone now had a key to our place) and helped me get the twins ready to leave the apartment. It was a real production to get them out of the house, which is why I usually never did it by myself. Once they were dressed in their adorable, 'I love my daddy' onesies, and secure in the double stroller, we left for lunch.

Blaine whistled in amazement as we sat down to lunch. "_Damn, Finn. You and Rach sure do make some great looking babies. The other night, when Kurt and I babysat, they were perfect little angels."_

I beamed with pride, because he was fairly accurate. They were pretty great, and mostly only cried when they were hungry, tired, or needed to be changed—no colicky babies in our house, thank God! "_Does it make you want one of your own?"_ I asked. I wondered if seeing our babies would change Kurt and his mind about children.

He chuckled at my question. "_Sorry to say, but it actually reinforced our resolve to not have children. We like our freedom and life how it is, and we want to be the best uncles ever. We couldn't very well do that if we had our own little rugrat."_ He picked up a whimpering Jack, and held him close to his chest, making him stop. "_Jack is such a little snuggler, isn't he? Just wants to be in someone's arms at all times."_

"_Yeah. It's pretty cute, but becoming a problem."_ I said jokingly. It really wasn't a too big of a problem, but Dr. Pope said we did need to let him cry it out sometimes, which killed Rachel and I. But, in public was not the place to let him whine, so I let Blaine go ahead and snuggle with him. Olivia was so mellow and chill, that she simply liked to look around at everything going on around us. I definitely knew who took after whom.

Blaine turned his attention back to me. "_I do, however, have something big planned for the future."_ He paused for second, making sure he had my full and undivided attention. "_I asked Burt if I could marry Kurt, and he said yes."_ He was grinning from ear to ear, and I was smiling just as big.

"_Congratulations, man! I'm so excited to officially welcome you to the family. Rachel will die!"_ I was really happy for them. They had some ups and downs in the past, but I knew they would eventually get married.

"_Thanks, dude. I can't wait! But, first I have to propose, and I kind of wanted your help. Do you have some time after lunch to browse around with me? It won't take too long, but I just wanted another opinion, and you did so well with Rachel's engagement ring…"_ His eyes were hopeful, and I ran my hands through my over grown hair.

"_Yeah, sure. Of course I have time."_ I responded. I knew my haircut would have to wait, because I would need to get home and feed, change, and put the babies to sleep in about an hour and a half, leaving no time for shopping for a ring and getting my haircut.

We finished eating, and then walked the couple of blocks to Tiffany's, knowing Kurt would accept nothing less.

"_Can I help you two today?"_ I nice woman asked as soon as we walked in.

"_Yes. I'm looking for an engagement ring for my boyfriend."_ Blaine said excitedly.

"_Oh, how exciting! Do you have an idea of what you'd like?"_

"_Well, not a diamond or anything like that. Basically, I was thinking a nice simple, silver band with an inscription on it."_ He followed the woman to the men's rings, and began to look through the options, but I made my way over to the women's jewelry.

A simple gold necklacecaught my eye, and I asked the man behind the counter if I could see it.

"_This one is very beautiful, sir."_ The man stated, and I just nodded. It was a long, skinny gold chain with a tiny gold heart hanging down from it.

I looked up from the necklace. "_Would it be possible to add another gold heart?"_ I wondered aloud. I peaked at Olivia and Jack in the stroller, and then back to the man working there.

"_Oh, yes. It would cost extra, of course, but it is certainly possible. We could even engrave it if you want."_ He was already scurrying to the back to get what he needed, and I could tell he was excited by the prospect of me purchasing something from him (he probably got bonuses based on commission).

Thirty minutes later, both Blaine and I left the store with little blue bags and smiles on our faces. He had purchased a silver band with the words, 'Come What May' on the inside, and it was perfect for Kurt. I bought the gold necklace with two tiny hearts, and on each heart, I had an "O" and a "J" etched on. We walked to our apartment building, and made our way to our respective apartments. I wished him luck, and made a promise that I wouldn't tell Rachel until after the proposal, since she couldn't keep her mouth shut to Kurt.

I was busy the rest of the day, caring for the babies and taking conference calls in the office. I didn't even notice it was five past seven until Rachel came through the door. She stopped in the doorway, and stared at me for a long time, which freaked me out.

"_Uh, Rach, what are you staring at?"_

She puckered her lips and then walked away from me into the kitchen. I jogged behind, quickly catching up to her and saw her searching the drawers for something. I was just about to ask what she was looking for, when she pulled out the scissors victoriously.

"_Ah Ha!"_ She yelled, and eyed my hair. I backed away from her, but she only came closer and closer.

"_No. No, no, no, no, no! I thought that was a joke! You cannot be serious."_ But as I said this, I could see in her eyes she was dead serious. "_Rachel, baby.."_ I pleaded with my eyes, but it was not working.

"_I told you what would happen if I found you like this when you returned home. You should have gone to the salon, because now I'm going to do it myself."_ She smirked at me, as she took my hand and led my upstairs, baby monitor in the other hand.

She dragged me to the master bathroom, and set her make-up chair up for me to sit down. I nervously did as she motioned, knowing there was no way to get out of this. She went to my side of the bathroom and opened some drawers until she found what she wanted—the electric clippers with ten different blade heads and two towels. She placed one towel on the floor around me, and then another around my neck.

Grinning, she took the clippers and started to examine which blade to use. "_Do you have any idea which blade you normally are?"_ I shook my head 'no', because I had no clue what my hair stylist usually used.

She looked over at each of them again, before picking up the 7 blade and attaching it to the clippers and turning them on. She made eye contact with me in the mirror, and shrugged her shoulders at me. "_Might as well start with a blade that will take off less hair, just in case. I can always go shorter, but not longer."_

I let go of my anxieties in that moment, and just allowed her to do as she pleased. She wasn't going to shave me bald or anything. Plus, she was the one who had to look at me, so I might as well let her decide what my hair looked like. She placed the clippers on the base of my neck and dragged them upwards, taking a lot of hair with them as they went. She continued this for a couple of minutes, and then turned the clippers off and started trimming the front of my hair using a comb and the scissors. The entire haircut only took about ten minutes, and when she was finished, she took a long, appreciative look at her work.

"_I must say, I did a mighty fine job! _She took the towel from around my neck and sat on my lap, facing me. I looked around her, at my reflection, and had to agree. It was shorter and cleaner, but still had a little bit of my signature messy look.

She took my face in her hands and then ran her hands through my newly shorn hair. _"Oh, yeah. This is so much better."_ She whispered against my neck and then nibbled on my earlobe sexily. She scraped her face against my stubble, and darted her tongue out to lick my scratchy cheek. "_Hmm, this scruff is so sexy. We will be keeping this."_ Her lips finally made contact with mine, and I pulled her body closer to me by tangling my hands through her own silky hair.

"_Maybe you should always cut my hair."_ I smiled against her lips. Her tongue was probing around in my mouth, and I could totally see myself getting use to this after ever haircut, but she simply shook her head and smirked against my lips.

…Twenty minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom knowing that it would be the best haircut ever, and most likely last of it's kind. Rachel said it was fun, but that next time I let my hair get that long, she was going to shave it all off completely, and she knew I could not put off the bald look. I got a little defensive, and asked her if I had the same right, thinking about the time her hair was so long and dark for the role of Elphaba, and she said 'sure'. That little comment backfired on me, because she knew I would NEVER shave her beautiful hair off, but she was serious about doing it to me. Whatever. I had a free haircut, sex in the bathroom, and a delicious dinner. Not a bad night.

* * *

The next morning, I was woken up when Rachel jumped on to the bed and began bouncing around giddily. "_Finn! Blaine asked Kurt to marry him!"_ She was sitting on top of me, looking at me expectedly, but I turned my head and groaned.

"_I know, babe."_ I closed my eyes, but snapped them open when I felt her tiny hand connect with my cheek.

"_What the hell do you mean, Finn Hudson?!"_ She looked pissed, and I shrank back under the covers. She pulled them off, and started to hit me repeatedly until I answered her question. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't fun either, so I grabbed her hands in mine to stop her.

"_I'm sorry, Rach. I went with Blaine yesterday to pick out the ring, but he begged me to keep quiet so it would be a surprise for Kurt."_ I tried to convey my sincere apologies with my eyes, and I could see her resolve soften a bit.

"_I wouldn't have told him."_ She said unconvincingly. Even she knew she couldn't keep that from Kurt, so she reached down and softly stroked my pink cheek. "_I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was just so excited, and then when you weren't as happy, I got mad. I guess I can't really blame this on pregnancy hormones…" _She searched my face for forgiveness, and I pulled her body to she toppled down onto me. I kissed her long and hard, and then whispered between our lips that all was forgiven.

We were about to have one of my favorite types of sex—morning sex—but we heard Kurt's scream echo through the house, and Rachel instantly scurried away from me to go down and congratulate him. When I finally came downstairs, with a baby in each arm, I saw them huddled over a huge book.

"…_And this is the flower arrangement."_ Kurt was pointing to pictures on a page in the homemade scrapbook.

"_Oh, I like that!"_ Rachel was flipping through the book, and giving her opinions on each photo and idea. I was curious as to what exactly it was, so I peaked over at the front of the book and saw, 'Klaine's Magnificent Wedding'.

"_Wait. Didn't you guys just get engaged last night? How in the world do you already have a complete book about planning your wedding?"_ I asked. Kurt's head shot up and he looked right at me like I was stupid.

"_I've only been planning this day my whole life, Finn! I started this particular book right around the time you and Rachel got married."_ I looked at Rachel and she was still smiling, not finding this strange at all. I turned around when I felt a hand on my back, and saw Blaine smirking.

"_You know your brother."_ Was all he said, and I looked back at Kurt, nodding my head. Of course Kurt would have had this wedding planned down to a T already.

"_I was thinking end of August or early September. That way, Quinn will be able to lose most of the baby weight, and I can finalize everything. What do you think?" _Kurt did not direct this question at Blaine, but instead at Rachel, who completely agreed. They kept on talking about the logistics of Kurt and Blaine's wedding, leaving Blaine out of the whole thing. I took one look at Blaine's smiling face as he watched Kurt and Rachel plan his wedding, and chuckled. This was just how it was with these two, and we had accepted it when we asked them to be our other half.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed us some beers, and returned to the family room to watch some TV with Blaine, while the other two talked about the wedding.

* * *

September

****It was September 6th, 2019—the day of Kurt and Blaine's wedding. I was all dressed in my best man suit—picked out by Kurt of course—and sitting down with Jack in my lap while Blaine finished tying his bow tie—I was his best man, and Rachel was Kurt's best woman. Jack and Liv were the ring bearer and flower girl, respectively, but they were only six months old, so Rachel and I would be carrying them down when we walked down the aisle. I looked down at my watch, and saw it was time to go to our places. They were getting married in a really cool, modern, high-rise building overlooking the city. It was dark out now, so all the lights of the city shown through the floor to ceiling windows, creating a nice and warm atmosphere—though I still loved Rachel's and my wedding better, this was perfect for them.

The music began, and Blaine made his way down the aisle to the front. I turned, looking for Rachel, and my eyes bulged out of my head. She was carrying our precious daughter, who was wearing a cute little white and gold dress, but my eyes were all over Rachel. She was wearing a long, black dress with a deep V-neck, that hugged all of her curves. She looked absolutely stunning, and she needed to know it, so I leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"_You look incredible."_ She smiled shyly, but didn't have a chance to respond as we were ushered down the aisle. However, the look she gave me right before we started walking made me hopeful that I would be partaking in some crazy wedding sex tonight.

The wedding was beautiful. Rachel was bawling throughout the entire ceremony, and Santana had to take Olivia from her so she could wipe her eyes with both hands. I so badly wanted to go over and console her, but I knew if I moved even an inch, Kurt would kill me for messing up his wedding. After the ceremony, there was an adults only reception, so Rachel and I handed off the twins to her dads. They had come in for the wedding, but decided they could pass up on a crazy party to spend some extra time with their grandchildren. Quinn and Tom were saying goodnight to Conner, who was seven weeks old now, and letting Quinn's mom take him home. This meant that it was couples only, and about to get crazy because we all needed to let loose and enjoy our time away from diapers and spit up.

Dinner was great, and we got to sit and chat about life with a bunch of the glee clubbers who lived far away. However, some of our friends couldn't make it: Puck had football season and couldn't get away, Sam and Brittany had been impossible to contact, but it was Tina and Mike's excuse that really shocked us New York gleeks. Apparently, she found out she was pregnant a little after Coach Beiste's funeral. They wanted to be married as soon as possible, so they decided to have a shot gun wedding in Vegas a couple of weeks later. She was now nine months pregnant, and couldn't travel. Kurt had been pissed, not because they were missing his wedding so much as Tina didn't tell anyone in New York. Mercedes and Arty knew since they see Mike and Tina all the time, but they were told to keep their mouth's shut. It kind of put a wrench in the friendship between Tina and Kurt, Quinn, Santana, and Rachel.

But, that was forgotten for the time being, and as soon as the dance music came on, we were on the floor having a blast. It reminded me so much of Will and Emma's wedding six years ago, except Rachel was mine forever, not just for the night. She was bumping and grinding with Kurt, Santana, and Quinn, and I had trouble keeping my eyes off of her face. She looked so carefree and happy; I needed to get in on this fun. So, even though I'm embarrassed by my dancing skills (or lack thereof), I grabbed her hand and twirled her fairly suavely away from her friends and into my arms.

"_Oh, Mr. Hudson! So smooth!"_ She yelled over the music. She was now grinding on me, and I was moving my hips in time with the music (I hope). She was running her hands all over me, and would occasionally dip down low—It was driving me wild. I felt myself stand to attention, and as she worked her ass into my groin area, she felt it too.

She smirked up at me through her long lashes. "_Someone likes this!"_ She let her hand brush over my crotch a couple of times, coyly playing it off as an accident each time, but I knew better. I snatched her hand away from my tented pants, and pulled her after me. That was enough foreplay; we needed to fuck right that minute.

She was giggling behind me, and I knew she found my uncontrollable desire hilarious. The only problem was, her giggles turn me on even more, so I turned around and placed my hand over her mouth. Her eyes were glistening with laughter, and she began to lick my hand that was covering her mouth. I looked around briefly, and then pushed her against the door directly behind her. It opened, and I realized it was a supply closet, but it would do.

"_So forceful."_ She purred when I finally took my hand from her mouth.

I lifted her up and placed her in an old table, and frantically began kissing her all over. She reached for my belt and pant zipper, quickly undoing both, and shoving my dress pants and boxers down to the floor. She raised her dress up, and I silently thank grilled cheesus that she loved wearing dresses—it was easy access all the time. I felt her wet core, and gently fondled her folds before teasing her with my tip.

"_Please."_ She begged into my neck. I stopped teasing her opening, and pushed into her hard and fast. She dug her fingers into my shirt, and moved her hips up to meet my thrusts. I slipped a finger between us, and massaged her at the same time. This drove her wild, and she threw her head back and moaned loudly. Her pleasure was setting me off, so I pulsed into her a couple more times, making sure to hit her G-spot, and then succumbed to my orgasm, with her following closely behind me.

I leaned over and buried my head in her neck, my length still inside her body, while we both came down from our highs. All of a sudden, we heard the doorknob shake, and in came three waiters. They stopped in the doorway when they saw us, quickly muttered apologies, and ran out with red faces.

I looked over at Rachel, and she looked at me, and we were both completely silent for a second. She covered her face with her hands, and slowly pulled out of me. I saw her whole body shaking, and instantly took her to my body and whispered reassuring things.

"_They didn't see anything, Babe. It's alright."_ I said soothingly. She maneuvered away from me, and removed her hands from her face and that's when I realized she hadn't been crying, she had been laughing.

"_Oh my God, Finn! We just got caught having sex in a storage room. We are the same horny kids who could never keep our hands off of each other."_ She spoke through her hysterics, and I began chuckling as well.

"_It's these damn weddings! Someone has to have slutty wedding sex, so why not us? We deserve it!"_ This only made us crack up even more, but we realized we had been away from the party a bit too long, and now everyone would know what we were up to. I pulled up my bottoms, and fixed my tie, while Rachel readjusted her dress and hair. I peaked out of the door, and saw that the coast was clear, so we briskly walked out and down the hall.

"_We should make this a tradition. Every wedding we attend together, we have to find a place to have slutty wedding sex."_ I said as I squeezed her hand.

She just peered up at me with the sexiest grins. "_Oh, I plan to…"_ She winked at me seductively, but then scurried away in search of Kurt and Blaine.

* * *

December

**Rachel: **

I can't believe it is already December. Hanukah and Christmas are right around the corner, and this year is extra special because it is the babies first holiday season. We are hosting the festivities again this year, and I'm so excited because the twins are growing everyday, and our parents have been missing out. They are now nine months old, and as active as ever. They have real personalities and try to communicate with Finn and I, and it is adorable, however, we can't leave them alone for a second.

"_Finn, honey, can you help me? Olivia is crawling all over the place, and I can't watch Jack at the same time."_ I yelled out to Finn. He was in his office doing some work, but I seriously needed some help. I usually do this by myself during the day, but if he's here, I will always ask for the two extra hands he provides.

He comes out a minute later looking stressed. "_Sorry, there are some problems at the office. I have to head in for an hour or two."_ He looked really sorry as he spoke.

"_Really? Can't they just handle this without you, or just do a videoconference? I'll need your help if I'm ever going to get this house ready for the holidays. Our parents come in tomorrow, and we haven't set up the menorah or Christmas tree yet."_ I knew I sounded exasperated and slightly peeved, but I was stressed out myself.

Finn came over to me and took me in his huge arms. "_I'm really sorry, Babe. I have to go in, but I'll try my hardest to get home quickly."_ He kissed the top of my head, and continued to hold me to him. It was calming me down, and I knew he wouldn't leave me if there really weren't an emergency at the office.

"_Alright, but please hurry, and can you pick up dinner? I'm not going to have time to cook our dinner, and feed Liv and Jack."_ I said, still firmly pressed against his warm chest.

"_Sure, Rach. I'm going to call Kurt and Blaine to see if the can come up and help out."_ Finn went to get his phone and called Kurt. He said they would be up soon, and couldn't wait to help decorate and play with the kids.

Finn left, and only ten minutes later, Kurt, Blaine, and Quinn with Conner came into the apartment.

"_Hey guys!"_ I waved them over to the family room, where the toys were set up._ "I didn't know you were coming up too, Quinn." _She smiled and placed Conner on the blanket next to Jack.

"_Blaine called and asked if I wanted to come up. Tom is working late tonight, and I figured the twins could tire out Conner for me. He hasn't been napping as much as I'd like."_ She was tickling his belly and making faces at Conner as she said this, and I knew she was exhausted like me. He had just turned six months old, and was a little behind the twins on activeness, but catching up since he was with them almost everyday.

"_Well then, this is perfect. Kurt and Blaine, will you put them in their highchairs while I go get their dinner?"_

"_Of course! But can you work and listen at the same time? Because I have some serious news to share."_ Kurt was distracting Liv with some colorful blocks, but he gave me a look that meant it was not the best news.

"_Can you hold on for a second? I have a feeling I'll want to see your face when you say this."_ I hurriedly got their organic baby food out and then went into the eating nook, so I could feed them and listen at the same time. "_Ok, I'm ready."_ I said nervously, as I alternately fed Liv and Jack their applesauce.

"_So I'm just going to come out and say it…Tina and Mike are getting a divorce."_ He spoke quickly to get it all out.

My eyes got huge, as did Quinn's. "_Oh no! But they just had Jules three months ago! Why?"_ I was shocked to say the least. They had been a couple almost as long as Finn and I, and had gone through far less drama than any of us.

"_I'm not exactly sure, but when she called, she seemed to mention rushing into it too fast. I mean, they did only get married at the time because she was pregnant, and they wanted to be married before they had a baby. She said it was a mutual decision, and that they both wanted it, even though it's sad. She loves him as her friend and father of her daughter, but is no longer in love with him, and neither is he with her."_ He looked saddened by the outcome, but also seemed to understand where they were coming from.

I, however, did not understand. "_What about Julia?"_ I was crying now. If this could happen to them, it could happen to any of us, and it was scary to think that one day, Finn could just fall out of love with me.

"_Rach, sweetie, Jules will be ok. She's young, and will be able to adapt to this situation. They will still parent together and be friendly and cordial with each other; they just wont be living in the same house, or be husband and wife anymore."_ Kurt rubbed my back, and Blaine took over the twin's dinner for me.

I was an absolute mess, and I didn't know why I was reacting so dramatically to this news. My friends seemed to realize my thought process, though, and were trying to comfort me.

"_Rachel, Finn will never stop loving you, and you will never stop loving him. You two are way too deeply in love with each other…Tina and Mike were happy, but never as happy and in love as you and Finn are. Divorce happens, and it sucks, but they will get through it. But you, missy, will never have to go through that, ok? Don't even put those thoughts in your mind."_ He continued to soothe me by rubbing my back, and I slowly ceased crying, and made my way back to the table.

"_I'm sorry."_ I said sheepishly. I was embarrassed by my behavior, but knew they understood my little freak-outs, and would never judge me.

We finished feeding the babies, and took them up to the nursery for bed. All three of my friends said goodnight, and went back to their respective apartments for their own dinner. It was nearing 7:30, and Finn should have been back by now. I called him a couple of times, but he didn't answer.

I was just about to go into full panic mode when he walked through the doors with bags of carry out.

"_I'm home!"_ He shouted as he placed the bags on the kitchen counter.

"_Shh"_ I whispered, but gave him a huge hug. I needed to feel his body against me and reassure me that not only was he mine forever, but he also was safe and always going to keep his promises.

"_Sorry I was late. The line at the Italian place was out of control."_ He squeezed me tighter, and then let me go to get our plates ready.

We ate together and talked about the day's events. This was my favorite part of the day—when the kids were sleeping, and we had the house all to ourselves. I told him about Tina and Mike, and he looked just as shocked as I had, but he didn't seem to worried about it, which instantly made me feel better.

"_That's too bad, but I never saw the passion or fire between them, and that's important. Why do you think we will last forever?"_ He asked smirking. He pulled me to his lap, and caressed my cheek with his fingers.

I squirmed under his touch, already feeling my body react to him. "_Why is that?"_ I asked innocently. 

His hands traveled south, and fondled my breasts, before sweeping under my short skirt and skimming over my panties. My hips automatically bucked up into his touch, and he laughed.

"_Oh, Babe…the fire between us is out of control. We've been married for 2 ½ years; imagine how hot this will be in 20 years"_ He kept his fingers on my increasingly wet panties, and his mouth found mine. He slipped his warm tongue into my mouth and began to swirl it around in the most intoxicating way. I was moaning in pleasure, and I felt his smile on hip lips at my noises. "_See."_ He simply said, and then picked me up and carried me bridal style to the couch.

"_Hmm, so much passion."_ I murmured against his neck, and I totally believed it. We were going to be together forever, because this burning desire between us would never fade. I would always want him, and he would always want me.


	14. Girls Just Want to Have Fun

**Sorry it's taken so long to upload! I was really busy and struggled to get this chapter done. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Song is "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

March 2020:

**Rachel:**

I can't believe that the twins are one already! It feels like just yesterday I was giving birth to them, and now they are walking and talking. They can both say "mama" and "dadda", and Kurt and Santana are desperately trying to get them to say their names, but it's coming out as "Kwet" and "Tana". They are a handful, but so lovable and sweet too. Their personalities are really coming alive! Jack used to be the crazy one and Olivia was the mellow and chill baby, but now, she has caught up to her rambunctious brother, and is even louder and crazier than him. They still look just like Finn, with the exception of their chocolate brown eyes and loud squeals. They have light brown hair, just like Finn had as a baby, and I always think it's adorable to style Jack's like Finn's, and Livy's like mine, though they don't have that much yet.

We decided on a Disney themed birthday, with a mixture of Princesses, Cars, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo. Our kids were definitely Disney babies, just like Finn and I had been when we were younger, and they loved all of the classics. Their favorite movie at the moment was Hercules, and it almost made me cry with happiness when they tried to sing along with it. I could already tell they were going to be great singers—though Finn swore they both had his athletic gene as well. I really didn't care what they decided to do in life; I just wanted them to find something they were as passionate as Finn and I were with our jobs.

I was prepping for my first staring role in a Broadway show since giving birth, and Finn had recently started teaching a class at Columbia University once a week on "How to Succeed in Business". It was the most popular class the University offered, and all of the students fought to get into his class because he had created such a successful business at only 26 years old. Plus, I'm sure it didn't hurt his popularity that he was funny, entertaining, and hot as hell in a suit (at least for his female and gay male students). I was incredibly proud that he had been asked to do this, but he already had a lot on his plate, and I really didn't think he should add another thing. However, it made him happy to be able to share his knowledge about business with college students, and I think he found it interesting to see what kids were doing these days.

I always thought that was funny because Finn and I were only a few years older than college students anyways, but we had come so far in such a short period of a time. We were 26 years old, married with two kids, Finn owned a restaurant, talent agency, and Hudson Global (a rising investment group), and I was a movie and Broadway actress, singer, producer, and writer of an original musical. I often asked myself how the heck we get so lucky, but then I realized it wasn't luck at all. We worked crazy-hard for everything we had now; it didn't just fall into our lap.

* * *

I was out and about, shopping with the twins, and passed the Columbia campus. Since it was Wednesday—the day Finn taught his class—I decided to pop in and see what he was up to. I had never been to his classroom, but I knew which number it was, so I walked down the corridors, pushing the stroller, searching for room 178.

Students were staring as I passed by, and I knew it was because they recognized me. Ever since Finn and I welcomed Olivia and Jack, the public has become even more enamored with our family. You can't look inside a celebrity magazine without at least one picture of us walking down the street, usually with the twins. The caption often read: 'Cutest Family Ever!', or some variation of that saying. I think everyone found us so intriguing because we were these hugely successful people, yet we somehow lived a really normal life together.

I simply smiled at the people as I walked, still looking for the room. A young man came up, and looked ready to drop dead when he reached me. "_Um, excuse me, Miss Berry, but I'm your biggest fan. Could I have your autograph?"_ I giggled at his expression, and nodded. He handed me a pen and a picture of me in my first Broadway show.

"_Wow! You must be a fan! I haven't seen this picture in years."_ I signed it and gave it back to him. He thanked me about a thousand more times, and then went on his way.

I pushed the stroller down the hall a little further until I found the classroom I had been looking for. It was about ten till 1 in the afternoon, so I still had ten minutes before he had to start teaching. I peaked into the room, and saw it was only Finn inside, so I opened the door and walked in.

His head turned in my direction, immediately producing a huge grin when he saw it was me and the kids.

"_Rach! What are you doing here?"_ He came over and kissed me lovingly, he then bent down and kissed Liv and Jack. They were repeating 'dadda' over and over again, and raising their arms in the air, wanting him to pick them up.

"_Well, I was doing some shopping in the area, and figured I'd stop by. Is it alright?"_ I suddenly got nervous that he didn't want me here.

He pulled me closer and shook his head violently. "_No, babe! I'm really happy you came. It was a nice surprise."_

We talked for a couple of minutes, and let the twins out of their stroller to stumble around a bit (they still weren't the best walkers). The door opened, and some students walked in, animatedly talking to each other, but stopped when they saw Finn and I together.

"_Oh my gosh! We are so sorry!"_ They looked really mortified that they had come in on us, but Finn simply smiled.

"_No, no. It's perfectly fine. My wife and kids just stopped by for a quick hello. Go ahead and take your seats."_ He sounded so relaxed and cool, yet his voice and posture held authority at the same time.

The students came in, and Olivia and Jack waddled over to them to check them out. More and more students were filling up the seats, and they were playing and laughing with the twins. It was great because while they kept them occupied, Finn and I were able to talk a bit more.

"_Professor Hudson, your kids are adorable!"_ One student shouted out, and all of the others yelled their agreements.

Finn and I just laughed. "_Thank you. But, they're a handful, let me tell you. Don't get any ideas."_ That made the class laugh, but just then, I heard Jack begin to cry. I walked over to where he was, and saw him and Olivia fighting over a pencil. The students looked a little panicked by the crying, which made me smile. Here I was, not even 4 years older than some of these students, but feeling like such an adult.

I bent down to their level and spoke to them calmly. "_Come on you two. Daddy needs to start his class. Can you give back the pencil you took?"_ They looked at me and nodded their tiny heads. I smiled when they gave it to a slightly pudgy redhead, and she said thank you.

"_Can you say thank you to the nice young lady for letting you borrow the pencil?"_ They jumbled out their thank you's, and I took their hands and led them to the front of the classroom again. As I was walking, I felt eyes follow me, and was instantly aware that I was wearing a short, low-cut sundress and platform sandals—probably not the best outfit for going on a college campus full of horny men. Finn definitely noticed, and I saw his eyes grow dark with anger. I reached him before he could explode, and patted him on the arm. I pulled him down to my face and whispered into his ear.

"_Don't worry about it. Most of the females students are only here for you looks too."_ I smirked, and was relieved to see him smile in return. "_Anyways, they won't be the ones getting lucky tonight…Professor Hudson."_ That made his small smile break out into a huge grin, and I gently placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. He kissed the kids goodbye and then waved as I left the room.

I probably would not be coming back here anytime soon, but it was a fun little surprise for Finn.

* * *

It turned out to be a great thing I brought the kids to his class that day, because we ended up finding the best babysitter. It was the redheaded girl from his class, and she was absolutely wonderful with the twins. Her name was Zoe Benson, she was a junior psychology student, and was from a little town in Idaho. She came over to babysit almost every week so Finn and I could have our weekly date night. Today, she was coming over so Finn and I could go out with our friends to a new bar and club, and I was thankful she was kind of a nerd (like I had been) and liked to stay in on Saturday nights.

"_Ok. I think you have everything you'll need. Their dinner is in the fridge, but feel free to eat whatever you find in the kitchen. They have been obsessed with Hercules lately, so if they get a little out of hand, put that on, and they will sit down and watch. Bedtime is at 7:30, and they've already had their baths, so you just need to read them a story. We will be back really late, so if you get tired before we get home, go ahead and just take the guest room and spend the night."_ I smiled at her, and then yelled for Finn to hurry up.

He came down the stairs wearing dark jeans and a grey shirt, and he looking really sexy. He took in my outfit as well—skinny white jeans, sparkly red tank top, and sky-high heels. He took my hand, and twirled me, as he subtly let his other hand dip down to squeeze my ass. Luckily, Zoe was clueless to our saucy interactions, and was playing with the twins already.

"_Alright, Livy, Jack, mommy and daddy are leaving. Can you come say goodbye?"_ Their heads shot up at the words leaving, and they waddled over to us with panicked faces.

Finn picked them both up in his arms at once, and placed big, sloppy kisses on their foreheads, which made them giggle. "_I love you two. Be good for Zoe."_ He leaned over so I could kiss them too, and I felt their tiny mouths giving me kisses.

"_Bye! I love you too."_ After we said our goodbyes, Finn put them back on the ground, and we made our way out of the apartment to meet the gang.

We walked to the club since it was less than ten minutes away, and by the time we got there, we saw everyone waiting for us. The club was called _Cream_ and had just recently opened. Santana had been begging everyone to go for weeks, but we hadn't found a time when all of us could go together. I hadn't been to a club in a really long time—since the whole Brody incident, actually—but I was looking forward to getting a little wild.

We entered with no problem, and were led to the VIP section once they realized that Blaine, Finn, and I were in attendance. We all got comfortable and ordered drinks, just talking the night away about random stuff.

"_I still can't believe Tina and Mike are divorced! That's crazy!"_ Blaine shouted over the music. We were all tipsy, but none of us had gotten drunk yet.

Santana just shook her head at his comment. "_I do. She really wasn't anything special, if you know what I mean."_ She smirked and winked at no one in particular.

The guys at the table look confused by her comment, but Quinn and I laughed at her insinuation. "_Wait, what do you mean? Did you and Tina…?"_ Finn asked perplexedly. When Santana nodded her head, all of the guys' mouth's hung open widely.

"_Santana!"_ Blaine shouted, laughing at the revelation. "_Who else did you get with in the glee club?"_

"_Hmm, well, let me think…"_ She pursed her lips, and her eyes were gleaming with amusement. "_There was Brittany, of course, a peck with Tina, Sugar let me feel her up, that one time with Quinn…" _She paused, and Tom's eyes got really wide.

"_She was the girl you experimented with!"_ He wasn't angry, just surprised, and Quinn was laughing as she nodded. That wasn't really news to the rest of us, but we didn't go into specifics when it had occurred at Will and Emma's almost wedding, nor did we need to now.

Santana still had the smirk firmly in place, and she glanced my way. "_And then there was Berry…"_ As soon as she said that, the entire table turned towards me with extreme shock written on their faces. Finn's expression was the funniest, though.

He could barely get words out, and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish. "_What..I..why.."_ I placed my hand over his mouth and smiled at him, and then at the rest of the table.

"_It's not that big of a deal. Santana had just moved in, and made me come to a bar with her. I got really drunk, and ended up making out with her. End of story." _As I said that, though, I could tell it most certainly was not the end of the story. Everyone began assaulting me with questions, asking me how I failed to mention that for the past seven years.

"_Rach! I can't believe you didn't tell me! I can't believe I missed you kissing a girl…"_ Finn finally managed. I could see him staring off into space, and knew he was imaging me making-out with a girl, and getting totally turned on.

"_Sorry, babe. Maybe if your lucky, I'll get really hammered tonight, and we can do a reenactment."_ I downed my fourth shot, and saw that as a possibility, as I was quickly approaching drunkenness.

His mouth fell open again, and then he lifted his hand up and waved the waitress over for some more shots. I smirked at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking, but didn't care. Santana and Quinn took a shot at the same time, and we all giggled when the men around the table just stared at us. I was pretty sure we all thinking the same thing—we were going to be putting on an entertaining show for them tonight...

Sometime later, I found myself dancing on top of the bar with Quinn and Santana. I was sandwiched between the two of them, as we all let our hands wander and our hips sway against each other. There were guys hooting and hollering, but we didn't really notice in our blurry, drunken haze. The music changed, and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" came on, and we found ourselves giving a full-on performance. We used empty beer bottles as microphones, and sang our hearts out while jumping and sloppily dancing all over each other.

"I come home in the morning light

My mother says when you gonna live your life right

Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones

And girls they want to have fun

Oh girls just want to have fun

The phone rings in the middle of the night

My father yells what you gonna do with your life

Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one

But girls they want to have fun

Oh girls just want to have

That's all they really want

Some fun

When the working day is done

Girls - they want to have fun

Oh girls just want to have fun

Some boys take a beautiful girl

And hide her away from the rest of the world

I want to be the one to walk in the sun

Oh girls they want to have fun

Oh girls just want to have

That's all they really want

Some fun

When the working day is done

Girls - they want to have fun

Oh girls just want to have fun,

They want to have fun,

They want to have fun..."

The crowd was going crazy for us, but once the song changed, people started to wander away to the dance floor again. This allowed me vision of Finn for the first time in a while, and he was simply grinning and shaking his head at our wild and drunken antics. We were still dancing to the song that came on next, so I turned to Santana, and placed a slow kiss on her lips. She grabbed my hair and pulled me closer, and I lingered there for a second, making sure Finn would get a good view of it. I then turned to Quinn, and did the exact same thing. The girls didn't seem fazed by it at all, and we all just giggled at the boys' desirous looks.

Finn bounded right up to me with a glisten in his whiskey brown eyes. "_You, my dear, are coming home with me."_ He lifted me from the bar, and we weaved our way through the crowd, trying to find the exit. He kept having to stop and help me because I was having serious trouble staying on my feet in the sky high heels I chose to wear.

I pouted my lips and looked at Finn with my puppy dog eyes. "_But, Finny, I'm having fun."_ Using the nickname 'Finny' was the telltale sign I was shitfaced because I hated when people used that nickname for him. He glared at me, trying to keep his face neutral, but couldn't keep the grin from taking over.

"_Oh, I know you were. But I need to get you out of here before you throw up all over your pretty outfit."_ He took my hand again, and we exited the club. As soon as the night air hit me, I suddenly felt the full effects of the alcohol in my system.

Finn had to basically carry me home, and when we entered, he had to keep a hand over my mouth to stop me from waking Zoe and the twins. He brought me straight to the master bathroom, and stripped me naked. He smelled me, and his nose wrinkled at the alcoholic stench I was giving off.

"_You need a shower, Babe."_ He turned the water on and started to get undressed himself. He helped me into the shower, and followed after me.

I suddenly felt extremely tired, and could barely function. "_Finn…"_ My brain wasn't working, but he knew how I was feeling, so he washed my hair and body for me, before doing his own.

Once we were done, he guided me to our huge and welcoming bed, where I promptly got in, completely naked, and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up with a serious hangover. I saw that Finn had placed two tablets and a glass of water on the bedside table, and I quickly downed the pills. I slowly raised the covers from my body, and made my way to the bathroom, but when I saw my reflection, I wish I hadn't. My hair was a mess, since I'd slept on it soaking wet last night, and my make-up was still partially smeared on my face. I jumped into the shower, and washed myself thoroughly, realizing it must have been nearly impossible for Finn to clean me while trying keeping me upright.

I dressed in yoga pants and Finn's favorite McKinley High Football sweatshirt, before making my way down the stairs. As the kitchen came into view, I saw Finn sitting at the table, feeding Jack and Livy breakfast and animatedly talking to them.

He looked over his shoulder at me, and chuckled a bit. "_Oh, there's mommy"_ The twin's faces lit up and they began yelling "mommy" over and over again_._ I cringed slightly at the noise, and saw Finn laugh harder. "_Shh, we have to be quiet cause mommy's a little hungover this morning"_ He was looking at Olivia and Jack seriously, and they were staring back at him, trying to understand.

"_Mommy ung ower?"_ Liv asked, and it was just about the cutest thing ever. She had this perplexed expression on her face that looked so much like Finn, and she had unsuccessfully tried to whisper her words.

I laughed, because I couldn't be mad at Finn for bringing it up—it was my own fault for getting so drunk last night. "_Yes, sweetheart, mommy hungover. But you can make it all better."_ I pulled her out of the high chair and into my arms, snuggling her little face to mine. She was squirming and giggling, and I just inhaled her baby smell.

"_Me! Me!"_ Jack was yelling now, and I handed off a still giggling Liv to Finn, and picked up Jack.

I kissed his face all over, and then lifted up his shirt and blew on his tummy. His tiny laugh was shaking his whole body, and Finn and Olivia were watching on, laughing as well. I finally put him back down in his highchair, and went to pour myself a cup of coffee.

Finn went back to feeding them their cereal and bananas, but turned towards me with a slightly concerned expression. "_Seriously, Rach, how are you feeling? You had quite the night last night…"_ I saw the small amusement in hiseyes, and smiled.

"_Surprisingly, I don't feel too badly. Just a bit of a headache and upset stomach. And yes, last night was wild, but I had fun. I would not be opposed to doing it again. I'm sure you wouldn't object"_ I gave Finn a sexy grin, and saw his body react instantly.

"_No objections from me. I enjoyed every single second of last night, though next time, perhaps you can save a kiss for me?"_ He cocked his eyebrow at me, and gave me his half smile I loved so much.

I came over to him and kissed him square on the mouth. I darted my tongue out and he gave me entrance to his mouth. He tangled his hands into my damp hair, and pulled me closer. We were just starting to get into full on make-out mode when we heard a pounding on the table. We both turned our attention to the two babies sitting in front of us, and fell into a fit of hysterical laughter. Jack and Olivia were banging their fists on the table, watching us kiss passionately.

"_Looks like Jack and Livy want to finish their breakfast, Daddy."_ They nodded their heads in unison, and licked their lips, only furthering our laughter.

I went back to the kitchen and started to make Finn and I our own breakfast, and heard him going back to conversing with the twins. I have to say, I think I've discovered the cure to a bad hangover: Advil, a hot make-out session with your husband, and the delicious smell of your beautiful babies. That's what did it for me at least.

* * *

A week later, I was running errands with the twins and Quinn and Conner. We stopped for a quick lunch, and before we even sat down, Quinn ran off to bathroom. I watched the kids in her absence, but was seriously curious as to what was wrong. I know she had been struggling ever since the night we went out, but this was not normal—a hang over doesn't last a week.

She came back over, looking a little pale, but otherwise the same. "_Sorry."_ She said sheepishly, and began to nibble on her salad.

I just looked at her incredulously. "_Are you serious? You're just going to sit there and pretend you didn't just throw up?"_ I asked jokingly. She gave me a small smile, but went back to eating.

"_Oh my God! You're pregnant!"_ I shouted, but covered my mouth when her face turned red and she glared at me angrily. "_Sorry. But you are, aren't you?"_

"_Yes, but I just found out, so please don't tell anyone. I'm only a couple weeks, and not due until December, so something could still happen."_ I nodded understandingly, but smiled at the same time.

"_Wow. So soon! That's like, 18 months apart, right? Was it planned?"_

"_No, not at all. I mean, we were planning on having another, but not this quickly. However, now that it's happened, I'm excited because that will mean Conner and the new baby will be really close in age."_

I clapped my hands and hugged her, because this meant a new baby in our circle, and I loved babies. However, it also brought to light the fact that babies could often be very unexpected bundle of joys, and reminded me to have a certain talk with Finn about getting fixed. As much as I love the twins, they were a handful, and I could not even imagine bringing another baby into the family. Finn would probably protest and stall, but he was going to get a vasectomy sooner rather than later. I was tired of having to keep going in for a birth control shot every three months, and was looking forward to living life without the fear of getting pregnant hanging over me.

* * *

**Finn:**

"_I think you should get a vasectomy."_ Those were the first words out of Rachel's mouth when I came home from work.

"_Uh, why? Can't we just keep doing what we're doing? It seems to be working."_ I honestly didn't know how to respond. I did not want to get a vasectomy at all.

"_I'm tired of having to go get a shot every three months. It would be so much easier if we never had to worry about it."_ She was giving me her serious expression, and it scared me.

"_I thought you liked birth control because you only get your period once every three months."_ I was trying to remind her the positives of staying on it, and when I saw her ponder that, I felt like I might have hit a cord with her.

"_I do like that…Ok, here's the deal. I'll stay on it a little while longer, but when I decide I'm finished, you must get snipped. I don't want to get a shot every three months until menopause—that would just plain suck. Got it?"_ I hugged her and agreed, because anything would be better than getting the vasectomy right now.

* * *

December 30th, 2020

"_Finn! We need to leave right now! Quinn is having the baby and I don't want to miss it!"_ Rachel yelled upstairs to me.

I came running down the stairs with a twin in each arm, and sweat coming down my face. "_It would be nice to have a little help here."_ I replied under my breath, but apparently Rachel's impressive hearing caught my little jab at her.

"_Well excuse me! I was only trying to calm my best friend who was going into labor early and freaking out!"_ She yelled back, her face going red with anger. I tried to placate her, because I really didn't mean to infer that she was doing nothing, but I was upset that she was shouting at me to hurry up when I was seriously struggling to get the kids. They were not as easy and little anymore, being nearly two years old now.

"_I'm sorry, Rach-"_ I started to apologize, but she cut me off by putting her hand up. She huffed as she took Jack from me and placed him in the stroller. Once Olivia was securely in as well, she started to wheel the stroller to the elevator, and I followed silently behind.

I didn't want to make this worse, and I knew she was in a bad mood. Not only was she extremely stressed from starring and producing in the show, but she had a family to take care of, and other business commitments. She was seriously stretching herself too thin, and I was worried about her. She was only originally supposed to play the lead in the play for three months, but its been more than four, and there was no sign of a quality replacement for her.

Not to mention she was currently on her period…I hope she doesn't bring up the vasectomy again. Some days, she would be fine getting the birth control shot and keeping it the same as it had been for years, and then every once and a while, she would mention it in passing, like, "wouldn't it be so much easier if you just got snipped?". I would immediately try to steer her away from that idea, and it was working, but barely. Eventually, she wasn't going to back down anymore, and I would have to get the vasectomy, but until then, I was going to enjoy my current situation down there. I was also going to enjoy the fact that sheonly had her period once every three months, which meant these crazy mood swings only happened four times a year. I'm not sure I could go back to dealing with it every month…who am I kidding! I love Rachel no matter what, and she was extremely hot as she angrily swayed her hips from side to side while she fast walked in front of me.

* * *

18 hours later…

Quinn had finally had her baby. There were some complications, and he was breach, so she ended up having to have a C-section. It was pretty scary for a couple of minutes, though, because we were told he wasn't breathing, and Rachel was hysterical in my arms. However, in the end, everything turned out ok, and Tom, Quinn, and Conner now had a new Wallace family member: a little baby boy named Henry Michael Wallace.

After visiting and holding the new baby for almost two hours, I was able to pull Rachel away and take her home. She had been at the hospital for all 18 hours of the birthing process, and needed to clean up, eat, and sleep. I had briefly went home because the twins could no longer go without food and sleep, so I wasn't nearly as exhausted as Rachel.

As we were walking the couple of blocks back to our apartment, I peaked down at Rachel, and noticed her discretely wiping her eyes. "_Rach, sweetheart, what's wrong?"_

"_Nothing. I was just really scared for Quinn and Henry, that's it. I think people forget that pregnancy and birth can be dangerous. You rarely hear about women or babies dying during birth anymore, but it happens, Finn."_ She was full on crying at this point, and struggling to keep walking.

I stopped us and turned to cup her tear-stained cheeks in my hands. I bent down so my nose was touching hers, and whispered to her to calm her down. "_Quinn and Henry are alright. They are both perfect, and I know it's scary, but let's not think about it now, because everyone is ok."_

She nodded after a couple of seconds, and pressed a kissed to my nose before pulling back. We walked the remainder of the way in silence, and I honestly thought about turning around and getting the vasectomy at the hospital right then and there. I never wanted to experience what Tom went through today, and I know having an unscheduled C-section was pretty routine, so I couldn't imagine what serious pregnancy complications were like.

First things first, though: I needed to get Rachel home and to sleep. Then, I needed to call her producers and tell them they had to seriously start looking for a replacement for Rachel. I knew they were being very relaxed about the search because they didn't really want to loose her as their star, but Rachel was ready to be done. She told me on numerous occasions that she wanted to just be a producer on the show and be a full-time stay-at-home mom to the twins.

She didn't mind doing smaller, shorter term side projects, such as concerts, charity work, or small movie or tv bits, but being in a show full-time was not what she wanted anymore. She had lived the Broadway dream, and was ready for something new. I think she was just scared of letting go of what she had dreamed of for so long. I would help kick-start this new chapter in her life, but she needed to do the rest because only she knew what she wanted for herself.


	15. I'm Thankin' You For Knowing Exactly

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Chapter title from "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera**

**Enjoy some drama!**

* * *

December 2021

**Rachel:**

It has been a year since Henry's birth, and the moment my exhaustion and stress hit an all time high; I nearly had a nervous hysterical break-down. But, with the help and support of Finn and my friends, I was able to reduce the stress in my life. Once Finn told my producing partners I was actually very serious about wanting to end my run as the star of our musical, "Get it Right", they finally understood that they genuinely needed to start looking for my replacement.

That doesn't mean I we found a star overnight, though. It took four long and grueling months of searching before we found a young woman with the talent, attitude, and appearance we were looking for to be the next Natalie Gold. During those months I continued to play my part, but it felt as if weight was lifted off my shoulders simply knowing there was an end in sight. I finished my last show in April, and then Molly, a young and cute nineteen year old, took over for me.

I was still a huge part of the show, being one of the creators and producers, but I just didn't want to be _in _the musical anymore. "Get it Right" won numerous awards at the Tony's, including Best Musical, Best Performance for an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (me!), Best Original Music and Lyrics (me again!), and Best Director in a Musical. I could not have been more proud of our cast and crew, but I was looking forward to making Molly's dreams come true now that she was the star.

I'm sure my panic and exhaustion stemmed from the stress of trying to balance motherhood and staring in a hit Broadway show nearly every single night of the week. I finally realized there is no way to balance it; you either half-ass the motherhood thing or the performing thing, and anyone who knows me, knows I do not half-ass anything.

I began to take it out on Finn and my best friends, which was not fair to them. I decided that I could not be staring on Broadway and be the mother I wanted to be, and knew I wanted to take a step away from the big white way for the time being, and focus on being the best mother and wife I could be. That didn't mean I sat home and doing nothing—I could not do that!—but I just made sure whatever I did was flexible and something I was really passionate about.

One thing I became extremely passionate about was giving back. I founded a charity called 'The Gold Star Charity', which helped provide music and art education in schools around the globe. The arts made me who I am today, as well as all of my friends, and I could not imagine not being able to express myself through music. I needed to help others find a way to express themselves as well.

Of course, I still love performing, and often get asked to sing at concerts, awards shows, or benefits, and I never turn the chance down. Singing in a musical had become too much like a job, rather than something I did for fun, but these events allowed me to show off my talent and personality. I usually got to pick my own songs, and do it how I wanted, which was a big departure from Broadway. I will never say never to going back, but for now, my charity, these few concerts, and most importantly, my family is all I need.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around the fact that Jack and Olivia are 2, almost 3 years old! It seems like just yesterday they were tiny little babies, and now they are real humans with thoughts and ideas. I can already tell that Jack is the curious and inquisitive one, who wants to know the answer to every question and problem. Olivia is the bold and adventurous one, and will do or try just about anything without fear—which scares the shit out of me, but humors Finn to no end. They both inherited Finn's mouth, nose, and freckles, but have my chocolate brown eyes and silky straight brown hair.

It's too soon to tell their musical abilities, however, they do enjoy singing along with anything on the radio. Kurt and Santana even taught them to sing nearly every song off of the new Coldplay, Beyoncé and Adele albums, and I must say, they are great. It's also too soon to see if they are athletes, however we put them in gymnastics class with Conner and they are pretty damn good. I may be biased, but I could see them going to the Olympics, especially Olivia since she is so fearless. I guess it is a little early to know for certain, though, so we will just have to wait and see…

* * *

December 21st, 2021

Today, we are flying to California for Mercedes' wedding, and I've been running around all day trying to pack the twins, myself, and Finn (he forgot, how convenient). Although I'm stressing, I am so excited to see everyone, and celebrate her marriage. She is marrying Dre, her longtime boyfriend and baby daddy (they had a son, Miles, 8 months ago), and I couldn't be happier for them.

I finally carry the last suitcase down the stairs and ring the front desk for help getting everything in the car waiting outside. Finn had to go into work early this morning to get some things finished before we left for the long weekend, and I was left to get everything together. We would be picking him up on our way to the airport, and we needed to leave soon if we wanted to get there on time.

I heard the knock, and ran to open the door.

"_Marty! Thank you so much for helping! I don't know what I would do without you."_ I cheerfully greeted the lovable bellhop with a hug and a kiss to his wrinkly cheek.

"_My pleasure, Mrs. Hudson."_ He replied with a large and genuine smile. He always helped me when my hands were full, and was the most thoughtful and generous man ever.

Once our bags were securely in the trunk of the town car and I had the twins strapped in their car seats, we were off to Finn's work to pick him up. I texted him that we were on our way, and he responded that he was waiting outside. As we pulled up, I caught a glimpse of him in his charcoal grey suit, and swooned. He was like my own Christian Grey, but better. He smiled as the car stopped in front of him, and opened the door to let himself in, as we were in a hurry.

"_Daddy! Daddy!"_ The twins were squealing in unison, and Finn leaned over to kiss each of them on the forehead.

"_Hey! I missed you two. Did you help mommy? I know she was pretty stressed this morning."_ He asked them, but was looking at me as he spoke. I could clearly see the concern written on his face because he felt badly about having to go in and leaving me to get everything ready.

"_We did, daddy! We help mommy."_ Jack said proudly in his small voice, while Olivia nodded enthusiastically and struggled to get out of her car seat.

Finn turned back to me and raised his brows in question.

I smiled and shrugged slightly. "_Well, let's just say they didn't make it impossible because I somehow got all four of us packed."_ I saw him grimace at my comment, and he pulled me into him closer to kiss my lips.

"_I'm so sorry, babe. I really didn't want to go in today, but since I missed all week, I had to sign off on some important documents and take some conference calls."_ He kissed me again, this time with more passion and desire, and I returned it just as lustful.

I shifted my body so that I was facing him completely, and wrapped my hands around his neck for closer contact. His kisses began to travel downward, and I arched my head back so he had better access to my neck. I was aware of our two toddlers sitting mere feet from us, but they were used to our PDA by now and were having much more fun playing on the learning games I recently downloaded on the ipad.

As he was kissing and sucking on my neck, I allowed my hands to wonder from his hair down his body. When I reached his tented pants, I automatically began to stroke his shaft firmly through the fabric. All of a sudden, though, I felt Finn jerk away from my neck and quietly gasp in pain.

"_Shit! Finn, I'm so sorry. I just got carried away and forgot. Are you ok?"_ My eyes were wide with fear and concern.

He shifted in his seat and gently readjusted his still enlarged cock in his pants. His face was pained, but he gave me a tight smile. "_Rach, I know, honey, I forgot too. We are both just horny because it's been 4 days without sex. This is torture…"_ He cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes to reassure me that it was ok.

"_We probably could have picked a better date for you to get a vasectomy, huh?"_ I asked, with a small smile on my lips.

"_Yeah, probably. The doctor said it should be good to go after a week, but honestly, I still feel really sore."_ He looked miserable, and I really did feel badly about making him get it done, but one or two weeks of discomfort was nothing compared to 40 weeks of unplanned pregnancy.

"_Well, as soon as it feels normal, let me know. I'm sure I can think of a couple—or a dozen—ways to break it in again."_ I winked at him, and scooted away from him a bit in order to referee a battle over the ipad between the twins.

* * *

The wedding was small and intimate, only close family and friends, and took place on the beach. It was pretty chilly outside, as it was winter, but the sun was shinning high in the sky and made everything seem warmer. Miles looked adorable in his kakis and black dress shirt—matching his daddy perfectly—and Mercedes looked great in her flowing white dress.

"_You may now kiss the bride"_ the pastor announced, and Dre dipped Mercedes back and gave her a huge kiss.

Everyone was chuckling and cheering at the newly married couple, and I took that minute to look around at my friends. It seems as if the only time we all ever saw each other these days was at weddings, and I hate to think about the time when we are all married and there will be no more excuses to get together like this. Life keeps going for everyone else too; it doesn't stop just because I don't see them as often as I'd like.

Tina and Mike have been officially divorced for over a year and a half, but are trying to co-parent as best as they can. They don't exactly get along with each other anymore, but Jules needs both of them in her life, and she seems like a happy little girl. Artie and Maya got married a year ago and they just welcomed a little boy named Landon 3 months ago. It's so crazy to me that almost every member of the glee club was either married, having babies, or both. I know we are adults and have been for a while now, but it's almost as if every time we get together, it hits me all over again.

"_What are you thinking about?"_ Finn asks in my ear while wrapping his arms around me from behind. Everyone is enjoying some time at the beach before heading inside for the reception. The kids are running around in the sand with Conner and Jules, and Henry and Miles are desperately trying to keep up with them.

"_Just life."_ I turned in his arms so I was facing him and looking into his warm brown eyes. "_What happens when we are all married? We wont see the California gleeks, or Sam and Brittany."_ I didn't want to be thinking about that, but I couldn't get it out of my mind.

"_We will make time to see our friends, babe, I promise. Plus, we have our 10 year high school reunion this summer, so we will see everyone then."_ Finn hugged me closer to his body when I shivered in the sea breeze. I felt him kiss the top of my head, and I snuggled closer to his soothing touch. We stood like that for a while, just enjoying the sound of the waves crashing the shore, and tiny voices screaming and giggling around us. It was perfect, well, almost perfect…

"_Mommy!"_ We heard Jack shout through his sobs, and broke apart to see what was wrong. He was stumbling towards us with tears streaming down his red cheeks, and I quickly searched over his body for a cut or blood, but thankfully didn't see anything. He ran into my arms and was shaking and saying something, but I couldn't understand what he was saying through all of his tears.

I gently pulled him away from my chest and looked up at Finn with a questioning look. He looked as confused as I was, so I lifted his chin up and looked into the brown eyes we shared. "_Sweetheart, you need to calm down and tell me what's wrong. Did you get an ouchy?"_

He shook his head slowly, and looked over his shoulder at the ocean. I squinted in the distance to see what he was pointing to, and realized it was a pile of large rocks near the water. I kept searching for something out of place, but didn't see anything alarming.

Next to me, I heard Finn gasp in shock, whisper "_Liv"_, and immediately start sprinting towards the rocks. I looked around at Kurt and Santana, who had come over when they heard Jack crying, but saw that they had no clue what Finn was reacting to. I didn't want to wait any long to find out, so I scooped Jack into my arms, and went off after Finn, my friends hot on my trail.

My stomach dropped once I reached Finn. My eyes shifted between Finn's determined face and Olivia's pained and tear- soaked one, desperately trying to calm my ragged breath and rising hysterics. I set jack down away from Finn and his sister, hoping Kurt or Santana could keep him back.

"_Finn! Oh, god! What happened?"_ I shuffled over to him and tried to put on a brave face for Olivia, but I don't think it was working.

Finn squeezed my hand quickly, "_Rach, she's ok. Olivia's going to be just fine. Just breathe, ok?"_ he didn't wait for a reply, but I knew he wouldn't lie to me. Plus, all I had to do was look at my little girl to realize what he was saying was the truth. She was not crying anymore, but she seemed to be in some pain, and her arm was pressed tightly to her chest.

"_Livy, honey, does your arm hurt?"_ Finn spoke to her calmly, and I was thankful he could be the rock in situations such as this.

She nodded her head. "_I have a booboo, mommy"_ she said with big eyes.

I laughed slightly and nodded my head at her braveness and the casual manner in which she spoke. "_Yes, Liv, you do. We need to go to the doctor to get it looked at, ok? Daddy's going to pick you up gently…"_ Finn carefully lifted her small body from the sand, and cradled her close to his chest, while being mindful of her right arm.

* * *

A couple hours later, Olivia had a bright pink cast on her arm, and a lollypop in her mouth. If you couldn't see the huge cast, you would think she was as happy as can be, but she had broken her arm pretty badly. Thank god she didn't need surgery or anything, just six weeks in the cast, and she would be as good as new. It really was shocking to me how resilient and strong she was after breaking her arm, but I figured she took after her father—Finn was notoriously tough and composed in worrying situations. Jack was more broken up about it—taking after me, of course—but physically, he was perfectly fine.

We had finally gotten the story out of them: Jack and Conner were chasing Olivia around, and she decided to try and climb the rocks to get away from them. She nearly made it to the top when she slipped and fell right on her arm. Quinn and Tom kept saying how sorry they were, but I refused their apologies because it was in now way Conner's fault. Little kids run around and, sometimes, they get hurt. Olivia knew better than to climb the rock, but did it anyways, and now she has learned her lesson…hopefully. I think she quite enjoys the attention she is receiving from all of her aunts and uncles. I guess she has a bit of me in her as well.

* * *

February 2022

"_Jack! Liv! Please come here. We need to leave right now."_ I called to the twins, who were playing with their toys in the family room. They came barreling towards me with huge smiles, and tackled me as I was bending down to get their snow boots. I laughed, but tried to replace it with a serious expression, because we really would be late to the doctors if we didn't leave now.

Finally, I had them bundled up in their warm, winter coat, gloves, hats, and boots, and we were out the door. Thankfully, the doctor's was only a block and a half away, and the twins were able to walk there (the stroller was a huge hassle in weather like this). It was a full on blizzard in the city today, and I was holding on to their little hands tightly so they wouldn't fall—now I just hope I didn't slip and bring them down with me.

We came up to the office building, entered, and I immediately relaxed when I felt the heat blasting through the air. I signed in, and walked the kids to the seats farthest from any other patients, not wanting to bother them with my loud and rambunctious (yet lovable) twins. After waiting for 15 minutes, my name was called, and I was led back to the small room.

"_So, Mrs. Husdon. Here for you yearly check-up I see."_ My doctor, Dr. Kinnear, was desperately trying to speak over my chatty twins, but it was a pretty hard task. She smiled at me in understanding, moved away from the small chit-chat, and got right down to the nitty-gritty information.

"_Has anything changed since we last saw you?"_ I shook my head, and tried to reel in Olivia, who was touching everything in sight. Jack was quietly sitting on my lap, playing with my necklace, but Livy just wouldn't sit still.

"_I'm so sorry."_ I said sheepishly. "_I don't normally take them to my appointments for exactly this reason, but our normal sitter had class and I didn't imagine she"_ pointing to Olivia, "_would be so difficult today."_

Dr. Kinnear chuckled at my comment, and reached out to stop Olivia from opening a cabinet. She took out a wooden stick and placed a shiny sticker on the end of it. Then she reached into a small cabinet and pulled out a bear. "_Hey, Sweetie, way don't you help me take care of Mr. Teddy. He's really sick."_ She handed the bear to Olivia and her eyes went wide with excitement, meaning she would be occupied for at least a couple minutes.

"_Thank you."_ I breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Oh, don't sweat it. Mothers bring their children in here all the time. I remember trying to get errands done with my little ones…I can only imagine the stress of twins."_

"_They're a handful!"_ I laughed, but squeezed Jack closer to my chest. "_At least I have one mellow child."_

The doctor nodded, but then got back to the questions. "_You sound in perfect health, lets just check everything out just to make sure though."_ She wheeled her chair over to me and used her stethoscope to listen to my heart and breathing. "_Sounds great. I'm just going to check your blood pressure and then you should be good to go."_

She wrapped the cuff around my upper arm, and began to pump, which was fascinating to the kids. After a couple more squeezes, she checked the numbers and frowned a bit, making me slightly worried.

"_Is everything alright?"_ I asked quietly.

She was studying my chart, but didn't appear to be too alarmed, which made me feel a little better. "_Well, it says here you blood pressure is usually around 100/65, which is slightly low compared to normal, but with your exercise and diet, it is normal for you. However, right now it is 90/50, which is very low. I think we should do a quick blood test, just in case. There is no reason to panic though."_

She gave me a small, yet tight, smile, and the mere fact that she said those words was reason enough to panic. "_What could this mean?"_

"_Well, it could be any number of things: dehydration, heart problems, a thyroid disorder, a severe infection, or a serious genetic illness. Let's just wait until after the blood test, alright."_ She patted me on my shoulder, and then proceeded to take my blood. "_I will just go run this to the technicians, and be back in a few minutes."_

As soon as she left, I picked up my phone and dialed Finn's number, needing to hear his reassuring voice telling me I was freaking out for no reason. It went straight to voicemail, meaning he was either on the phone with someone else, or it was dead. I decided to sit there and wait and see if he called back, but before he could, the doctor came back in with the results…

* * *

It was nearly 7:45, and I was just placing the finishing touches on the Lemon Chicken, rice pilaf, and veggies when Finn walked in the door.

"_Hey Babe"_ He said as he came around and kissed me on my cheek. He dramatically inhaled the smell of the food and licked his lips, making me smile, but then the serious look was back on my face and I had to whip my head around to keep it from Finn. I did not want Finn to see me and guess something was up; I wanted to tell him on my own terms, and that would be after a delicious dinner.

"_Wow, this is amazing, Rach! And you're eating the chicken…when did you start eating meat again?"_ Finn looked at me with a confused look on his face, but continued to stuff his face.

"_Just recently. The doctor said I needed to eat food higher in fat and complex sugars because my blood pressure and sugar levels were down, so she recommended that I incorporate small amounts of meat in my diet."_ I tried to say it nonchalantly, but I think he saw the conflicting emotions in my eyes.

He set his fork down and stared at me for a long time, hoping I would give in and tell him what was wrong. I didn't. I just continued to take small bites of the rice and chicken, looking down at my plate. I had already fed and bathed the twins before Finn got home, so there were no distractions to keep me from spilling the truth.

"_Rachel. Look at me."_ Finn pleaded, the sincerity evident in his eyes, but I wasn't ready yet.

"_Finn, can we just finish dinner and put the kids to sleep first."_ I felt the tears spring in my eyes, and I instantly got up to take my dish to the sink so he wouldn't see, but it was too late. He saw, and it only made him more concerned, but he kept his distance and finished his dinner at the table while I went up stairs to get the twins calmed down and ready for bed.

Ten minutes later, Finn came into the room and sat on the edge of Jack's bed while I read them a story. "_Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere."_ I finished the book, and kissed Jack goodnight, while Finn carried Olivia to her own bed. We turned out the light and shut the door behind us, walking the short distance to our own bedroom, and to a talk I wasn't sure I was ready to have yet.

He quietly closed the door, and turned his head towards me. I silently walked to the closet to change out of my clothes and into pajamas, wasting as much time as I could. After I could not possibly waste any more time, I got into bed and looked at Finn, who was lying next to me. He looked hurt and confused, and I didn't even know where to start.

I took a deep breath, and was about to tell Finn what I'd found out at the doctors, when he spoke up.

"_It's ok. You don't have to tell me. I can tell you aren't ready, so I'll make it easier."_ He got up, and grabbed his pillow. "_I'm going to sleep in the guess room downstairs…Goodnight Rachel. I love you."_ He spoke the last words quietly, but I knew he said them. I stared at his retreating form, and as soon as he was out of the door, burst out into tears. I didn't mean to hurt him, but I was still in shock, and needed to process this myself first.

"_I love you too, Finn Hudson."_ I whispered the words in the empty room, knowing he couldn't hear, but feeling better simply by saying it.

It was hell trying to get my mind to shut off and fall asleep. Finally, after 3 hours of thinking, I accepted the truth and relaxed into the covers, letting sleep consume me. I would tell Finn in the morning, and we would deal with it together.

* * *

I set my alarm for 8 am, knowing Finn probably hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and would be sleeping in today. I took a quick shower and changed before going into the twin's room to get them dressed for the day. I placed them in the new shirts I bought them, Jack in cute little jeans and toddler Sperry's, and Olivia in a black skirt and Mary Jane's. I just loved dressing them in tiny designer clothing!

"_Mommy, what are we doing?"_ Jack asked, as we walked down the stairs quietly.

I placed my finger to my lips and told them to be quiet. "_We are going to wake up daddy, but we have to be really quiet. Remember what I told you guys?"_ They nodded and followed my directions, as we snuck into the guest room. As soon as we walked in, though, they lost all restraint and yelled as they fought there way onto the bed.

Finn bolted up-right, and looked as if he was about to have a heart attack, but once he took in his surroundings, he picked them up and tickled them. I remained in the doorway, one hand on my hip, the other leaning against the doorframe, watching the pure joy my family was experiencing in that moment. My family was beautiful…

Finn was frantically trying to tickle them and play-wrestle with them, when he suddenly stopped. He looked up at me, and then back down at Olivia, who was currently under his tickling fingers. I slowly walked over and sat on the end of the bed, scooping up a still giggling Jack in my arms.

He had a blank look on his face as he continued to look around at all three of us, trying to understand. "_Babe…what..are you…are we having another baby?"_ His expression was incredulous, and he looked as if he may throw up he was in such shock.

Just in case, I grabbed Livy in my arms as well, and sat there facing him. This gave him an even better view of the new shirts I'd bought the twins, saying "BIG SISTER" and "BIG BROTHER".

I smiled and nodded my head, hugging the kids closer to me. He stared a moment longer, but then launched himself at the three of us. Finn carefully maneuvered the twins to the side, and out from under his body weight, and began to kiss me everywhere. I was squealing underneath him, but enjoying his reaction immensely.

When he stopped, he took my face in his hands and looked adoringly into my eyes. "_I love you so much, but how the fuck did this happen?"_ He whispered the f-word, but I still swiped him at using that language in front of the kids.

I took a deep breath, and remembered what the doctor had told me when id asked the same question. "_Well, after we scheduled your vasectomy, I stopped getting the birth control shot. After we resumed our normal sex life, we didn't use protection, assuming we were in the clear. However, apparently, sperm is not completely gone from the organ for a couple months, and we needed to be using protection until all of your sperm was out."_ I said almost word for word what the doctor told me yesterday when I adamantly told her it was impossible.

Finn continued to smile, making me feel all warm inside. "_I guess we are having another little miracle, then, huh?"_ He kissed me one last time, and then pulled away and hugged and kissed Olivia and Jack.

I stared up at the ceiling, tears in my eyes, my heart feeling too big and full of joy. I was so overwhelmingly shocked yesterday that I didn't allow myself the chance to actually imagine what this meant. I was only worried about the unexpectedness of it, not the joys that come with babies. It will be hard and stressful at times, dealing with three kids under the age of four, but it will also bring so much more joy and light into our already amazing lives. We would be completing our family. When I was younger, I had always wanted three kids, but after having two at once, I honestly didn't think I could do it. But now, I know I can, and I will have help every step of the way.

"_Now we have to find a way to tell everyone."_ Finn muttered. I groaned thinking about the craziness that will ensue when our parents and friends find out. We have been adamantly telling them for years we were done, and now here we are, having another baby (hopefully just one!).

"_I think we should wait a bit. I haven't gone to the OBGYN yet, so I'm not sure how far along I am."_

Finn agreed. "_But when we do tell_, _we should just these two crazies in these shirts. I'm sure that will send everyone off the deep end like it did me."_

"_Sounds perfect!"_ I rolled off the bed, taking Olivia with me, and went to start breakfast.

* * *

A week later, we visited Dr. Pope, who confirmed the pregnancy and told us I was 8 weeks along and due on September 4th. Our families were coming in for the twin's 3rd birthday, so we decided to wait another two weeks to tell everyone the exciting news.

* * *

**Finn:**

March 2nd, 2022

It was finally Jack and Olivia's 3rd birthday and the day we would be telling everyone about my pregnancy. We didn't want to make the entire day about their new sibling, so we decided to wait until the very end to change them into the t-shirts revealing the surprise.

"_Jack, Livy, do you know what day it is today?"_ I heard Rachel ask excitedly as she finished getting them ready

They were both looking at Rachel with wide eyes and curious expression, having no clue.

"_It's your birthday! You two are silly! I just told you! How old are you?"_

Jack excitedly held up his two fingers and yelled, "_two!_", but his sister just shook her head and put her hands on her hips in a very Rachel Berry-esque pose.

"_No, Jack, we's tree today, cause it's our birfday." _I laughed and Rachel smiled as well, knowing it was funny, but not want to make Jack feel badly.

"_That's right! You're three today. Now, let's go down stairs and wait for everyone to get here. Grandma, Grandpa, Papa, and Grandfather are coming!" _Their faces lit up with excitement, and they raced down the staircase.

Rachel and I held back and walked slower, enjoying our quiet time together before all of our company came. We had already celebrated their birthday with their friends earlier in the week at central park, so today was just family and friends. I gave Rachel a lingering kiss and gently touched her flat stomach, but quickly pulled away when I heard Santana burst through the apartment door.

"_Where are my favorite three year olds?!" _She shouted and Liv and Jack went running into her arms to welcome her.

"_Tana! Tana!"_ They shouted happily, while peppering her with kisses. It was pretty adorable to see her with the kids because I knew how much she loved them and how much they worshipped her.

"_Hey Santana" _Rachel hugged and kissed her friend on the cheek before taking her coat and placing it in the closet. I welcomed her too, but she was quickly whisked off by the twins.

Kurt, Blaine, and my parents were next to arrive, and I gave my mom a huge bear hug. "_Mom! I've missed you."_ I said in her ear, and I could feel her squeezing me harder.

"_Oh, Finn, I've missed you too! You look so skinny! Has Rachel been feeding you?"_ She pinched my sides, but I just smirked, glad that she noticed.

Rachel came in then, hugging everyone and fake pouting at my mother. "_Hey now! I feed him very well! He's just been exercising more, and not eating everything in sight. Plus"_ She said, as she placed her arm around my waist and snuggled closer to me. "_I think he looks really good."_ She gave me her secret smile and wink, and I knew she was picturing something dirty, which made me instantly hard, since it was so bold of her to do that in front of my mother.

Thankfully, Quinn and her boys came barreling into the house, and everyone was distracted for a moment so Rachel and I could steel a moment.

"_Boy! No running! We are inside."_ She looked a little frazzled as she spoke to us, "_Sorry. They are just so excited to see Liv and Jack even though they practically see them everyday."_

"_Just imagine what it will be like in school this coming year!"_ Rachel commented. "_Jack, Conner, and Olivia in one classroom is bound to be trouble. I feel bad for that teacher…"_ She laughed a little to herself, and she and Quinn wandered into the kitchen to continue talking while getting the food out.

* * *

"_Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Jack and Olivia. Happy birthday to you!"_ We all cheered as they tried to blow out the candles in their individual cupcakes. After a couple attempts, and lots of spit, they both finally blew out their respective candles.

"_I'm so happy you got cupcakes, Rach, because there is no way I would eat a cake with their spit all over it. I love them, but just…no"_ Everyone chuckled at Santana's remark, and agreed with her sentiments. Those cupcakes were all theirs; I'd go get my own.

The party was winding down; the kids were in the family room watching Cars, while us adults drank coffee and gossiped in the kitchen. I looked across the kitchen island and made eye contact with Rachel. She raised her brows, and I knew she was asking if now was the right time. I nodded my head slightly, so she was the only one aware, and we excused ourselves from the conversation and grabbed a twin each.

We managed to make it upstairs without anyone noticing or commenting because they were currently discussing the biggest turn offs in a romantic partner after Santana dumped a girl because she refused to clean her ears.

We came down a few minutes later, and they were still discussing the same thing. They must have eventually noticed our absence, because Blaine turned around and shouted to us. "_Rachel, Finn, what do you think is the biggest turn off?"_

I was caught off guard by everyone's eyes darting in our direction, and prepared to get attacked once they saw the twin's shirts. However, no one seemed to realize what the kids were now wearing, and were instead waiting for our answers.

Rachel smiled a little before speaking up. "_I don't know. I guess people who are oblivious to what's right in front of them."_ I saw her eyes dart to the twins, but still, no one caught on.

"_Oh, babe! That's a good one. Like people who are too preoccupied with something else that they don't see an even bigger thing…"_ I moved Jack and Olivia so they were standing right in front of Rachel and I and so that the writing on the shirts was clearly visible. That finally did it.

"_Holy-"_ Kurt slapped a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from cursing in front of the kids. His eyes were huge, and everyone looked at him with questioning eyes, not understanding yet. He simply pointed at us and all eyes were on us again, but this time searching for an answer.

"_Oh my god! No way!"_ Quinn was next, followed by multiple gasps and screams, and they all came barreling over to hug Rachel and I.

My mom was tearing up, but looking at me quizzically. "_I'm a little confused. You got the vasectomy three months ago…oh Finn! You didn't!"_ She began to smack me, and I had no clue what for. Rachel had to step in and gently pull Carole away.

"_No! Finn didn't lie—he really did get the vasectomy, believe me, I was there!—but we didn't realize that we still had to use birth control until all of his semen was flushed from his system."_ This seemed to placate my mother, and she went back to hugging Rachel and I.

"_I'm still in shock over here!" _Kurt stammered, and I saw that all the color drained from his face. "_I've been begging for the better part of 2 years for another Finchel beauty, and you two kept telling me it was never going to happen. But now…"_ He was beginning to tear up, and Rachel went to him and gave him a warm hug.

"_Kurt, believe me, we really meant that at the time. We had no intentions of having another baby. I mean, Finn got snipped for a reason, but now that it's actually happening, we couldn't be happier."_ She was crying now, and I was about to go and comfort her, but before I could get to her, all of our family and friends had surrounded her in a group hug. The kids saw, and ran over to get in on the action. I scooped Liv and Jack into my arms and we piled into the love-fest as well.

We spent the rest of the evening talking about the pregnancy and what a shock, but joy, it was to be expecting a third child. Rachel's fathers also mentioned the possibility of moving here in the spring. They desperately wanted to be near family, and we were the only they had left. They were both able to transfer for their jobs, and I know Rachel was excited. I was too, because three children was going to be difficult to care for while we both had work or projects, and I didn't want this to be a stressful time for Rachel.

It was exciting to finally share this new with our best friends and parents. Next, we would have to inform the rest of our old glee club, but we would probably just do a simple email with a picture of the twins in their sibling shirt (those were going to be getting a lot of use).


	16. Give Your Heart a Break

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Title from "Give Your Heart a Break" by Demi Lovato**

* * *

April 2022

"_Oh Finn! Harder…please!"_ Finn pulsed into my body harder and faster, making me scream out in pleasure.

"_Yes baby. Come for me."_ He was running his fingertips up and down my sweaty, naked body, making me lose all control. My walls tightened around his hard cock and I whimpered as I came violently around him. He followed soon after, crying my name in bliss at his release.

We stayed connected for a while longer, catching our breath, and then pulled apart and cuddled happily. He was absentmindedly running his hands over my slight bulge and I closed my eyes in tranquility and joy.

I finally broke the silence. "_Hmmm, that feels so nice."_

I felt him smile against my cheek before responding. "_Good. I like making you feel good."_ I giggled at his innuendo and snuggled closer. "_I cannot wait to meet this little surprise."_

Our bliss was interrupted by my phone ringing. I looked at the time before answering, and saw that it was nearly 2 in the morning.

"_Who's calling at this hour?"_ Finn sat up, slightly alarmed.

I looked down at the caller ID. "_My dad…"_ I nervously answered the phone, wondering what would cause him to call at this time.

"_Hello?"_

"_Rachel, Sweetheart."_ He breathed a sign of relief through the phone, and I could tell he was tired and upset. "_It's your daddy…he's in the hospital, but please don't panic."_ He added the last part quickly, but how could I not panic.

I gasped and felt all the color drain from my face. "_W-what?! What happened?"_ I felt Finn grab my hand to calm me down.

"_He was having some chest pains, so I brought him in. They are running tests now, but think he was having a minor heart attack. I just thought you would want to know."_

"_Of course I would! What hospital? I'll be there as soon as I can."_ I had already begun to get up and grab some clean clothes to get dressed in.

"_We are at City Hospital, but you should wait until morning-"_

"_No way! I'm coming right now. See you soon."_ I cut him off. I hung up with him and looked at a concerned Finn with tears in my eyes.

"_I have to go to the hospital. My daddy had chest pains and they think it was a heart attack."_ He got up quickly and hugged me close to his chest, while I let out some tears. "_He said that he was ok, but I need to go see for myself."_

Finn nodded, "_I understand. You go, and I will come later with the kids. Call me if there is any news, ok?"_

"_Ok. I love you."_

"_I love you too, babe."_

* * *

I entered the hospital and went right to the room where my daddy was staying in. I immediately saw my dad sitting at my daddy's beside, feeling relieved when I saw them smiling at each other.

My daddy saw me standing in the doorway, and his smile grew. "_My Rachela. Come here."_ He sounded tired, but seemed to be doing ok.

I jogged into the room and enveloped both of them into a hug, fighting back the tears that were threatening. "_I was so worried when I got that call. Tell me you're alright?"_ I asked, a bit scared for the real answer.

Just then, the doctor came into the room, answering the question for me. "_Well, Mr. Berry, the tests have come back and you did have a minor heart attack. Thankfully, you listened to your body and came in before it could get bad. I am going to keep you overnight, but you will be good to go tomorrow as long as you take some medicine."_ He smiled at us to reassure us that he would be fine.

"_And there was no damage or anything? What do we do now?"_ I questioned curiously. I knew Burt had had a more major heart attack, but he was put on strict bed rest and an extreme diet.

"_There was no serious damage done because it was caught and stopped so early. It is, however, more likely for you to have another one if you are not careful. I would suggest light exercise, such as walking, and an organic food diet. Other than that, take it easy, and live a healthy life. Try not to get too stressed."_ He smiled one last time, and headed out the door.

My dad leaned down and kissed my daddy on the forehead, letting out a deep breath. "_Oh, god, thank you! We are going to be the healthiest people ever from now on!"_ My daddy groaned, but had a slight smile on his face.

"_If we must."_ He responded, and hugged my dad closer while looking over at me. He mouthed the words, 'I love you', and then let go of my dad so he could give me a hug as well.

"_I'm so happy you are ok. And, I'm happy you guys moved to New York so quickly. Now I can be closer and monitor your every move." _I laughed at his panicked expression. "_Not even here for two weeks, and already stressed from the city life?"_ I tisked playfully. I really was happy that they had been able to move so quickly, both getting transferred to their company's branch on Wall Street.

Now, I could see them all the time, and they wouldn't be lonely. I knew they missed me like crazy when I moved to New York, and had nothing left in Lima. They needed to be near family, and I was the only family they had. They were in love with their grandchildren, and they were beyond happy that they would get to see them all the time now. It also meant another free babysitter for Finn and I! I have no idea why they didn't move here sooner.

* * *

June 2022

**Rachel:**

"_Rach, what about this one? I think you'd look great in it!"_ Kurt said to me while holding up a black bikini.

"_I don't know Kurt. Should I really be wearing a bikini while 6 months pregnant?"_ I bit my lip in apprehension, looking at the tiny bikini he held up.

"_Berry, you look smokin', why not show it off? Plus, we are going to be in Greece on a secluded island. No one will care—they are used to topless women on the beaches in Europe anyways."_ Santana came up behind me and shoved the bathing suit in my hands.

I looked at it one last time, and let out a breath. "_Alright! I might as well go for it. I'm so excited that Finn and I finally get to show all of you where we spent the last days of our honeymoon. It is the most magical place I've ever been to…"_ I let my mind wander back five years ago when Finn and I visited the Greek island.

I was knocked out of my daydream when I heard Santana scoff. "_You mean the place you and Finn conceived the twins."_

I playfully smacked her, but she was too quick and was able to escape into the dressing room to try on her bathing suit. I went and paid for my suit and waited with Kurt until Santana came out and paid for her's as well.

"_Where to? Lunch or Barney's? I saw some really great hats on their website the other day, and I'm totally going to need one with my pale-ass skin. Why couldn't I have been blessed with your guys' beautiful tanned skin?"_ Kurt groaned. Santana and I laughed at his melodramatics. Ever since we booked the flight for our trip to Santorini, all he'd been talking about was how ghostly pale he will look compared to the goddess-like men there.

I placed a hand on my growing belly, and answered his original question. "_Food please! This little one is starving."_

We headed to a nearby restaurant, and sat down to order. Once we ordered, we chatted all about the vacation we were leaving for in less than three weeks.

"_Guys, I'm a little nervous about leaving my daddy. I mean, he just at a minor heart attack. What if he has another one while we are gone?"_ I had been thinking about that a lot lately, and couldn't help but feel guilty that I was going away for some fun in the sun with my friends, while he could have another heart attack.

"_Rach, believe me. I know what it's like to have a parent suffer from a heart attack, but he is doing really well. They practically stopped it before it started, so he doesn't even have any damage. It's been nearly two months since it's happened, and all of his tests have come back normal and healthy. It was just the stress and exhaustion from moving to the city. Don't punish yourself."_ Kurt had his hand on my shoulder and was looking at me earnestly.

He was right. My daddy had barely even had a heart attack—just some heart pains that could have led to a massive heart attack—so it was nothing compared to what Burt suffered, and he was perfectly healthy 12 years later.

"_Ok. I'll stop worrying. He is doing great."_ I smiled at my two best friends, and we continued on with our talk about the trip.

"_I hope you've been shopping with Finn, Rachel. I do not want to look like a group of American tourists because he's wearing socks with sandals, or he has a fanny pack on."_ Santana said with mock horror on her face.

"_Don't worry, San. I went shopping for him because he refused to go with me—which I don't understand, by the way. He is fully prepared."_ Kurt answered for me.

"_Kurt, he hates going shopping with you because you make him try on things he would never be caught dead in."_ When Kurt came me an incredulous look, I continued. "_So your telling me you really think Finn should wear a knee length sweater over skinny jeans?"_

"_Well…I guess that's more me…"_

"_Exactly. I don't know what you two are so worried about—he is a great dresser. Just because he wore a lot of plaid and stuff in high school doesn't mean he still does."_

"_I know. Thank god! But I just wanted to make sure. I was out shopping for you and the twins, and I found a perfect outfit for him. I couldn't resist! Speaking of, how are you feeling? You haven't complained once, and we've been shopping for hours. I mean, you're even wearing heels."_

I smiled at both of them while laying a hand on my stomach. "_I feel great! This is such a different experience from carrying twins. I barely had any morning sickness or mood swings, and I have tons of energy, even while taking care of two toddlers. Not to mention I'm half the size I was with the twins."_

"_You do look very good."_ Santana said while stabbing her lettuce with her fork. "_I just hope this one is a lot more mellow than the twins. I love them to death, but they are so full of energy and get into everything. Put Conner into the mix, and there is no stopping them."_

I laughed. "_I know. So far, this one seems pretty chill, but we'll have to see. I've been told that going from one to two kids is way harder than two to three, especially with a three year age gap. All of the parenting books say that you have to be more flexible, so that's what I'm going to try and od. I'm just glad that the twins are a little more independent, and won't need me to change them or feed them when this one comes along."_

"_Yeah, and you will have lots of help whenever you need it. When are we going to find out the sex?"_ Kurt asked excitedly.

I looked down and then prepared for the get angry responses I would no doubt receive once I told them. "_We decided that since this baby was such a surprise, we might as well keep the sex a surprise as well."_

Kurt and Santana looked at me silently for a moment, and I was expecting the screaming to start any second. However, they both just sat there looking at me and contemplating what I'd said.

Santana spoke up first. "_I guess that's kind of cool. It will make the birth so much more exciting, won't it!"_ I could hear her excitement rise at each word.

Kurt was nodding his head frantically. "_Although I would love to pick out outfits and get prepared, this is our last baby, so we might as have some fun with it!"_

I was about to point out that this was not "our" baby, but I let it slide. They both lived vicariously through Quinn and I, and it made them so happy to feel apart of our families. Even though neither of them wanted kids of their own, there was nothing they loved more than being aunt and uncles to our children.

"_So do you have any names picked out?"_ Santana asked, but before I could tell her we hadn't thought of that yet, my phone began to ring.

"_Sorry, I have to take this. It's Finn and he is home watching Livy, Jack, Conner, and Henry, while Quinn is grocery shopping. I'm really hoping there hasn't been a disaster."_ I said lightly.

Kurt and Santana gave me a look, and I knew what they were thinking. Finn was great with the kids, but four kids under the age of four was a lot to handle, and those four were extremely difficult when they were together. Quinn and I were able to do it, but we were with them everyday, and we knew exactly what they would try, and could stop them before something happened.

Olivia was usually the ring -leader, with Conner and Jack following along, however, the boys would also gang up on her occasionally. Whatever the case was, they always managed to get into some kind of trouble. The last time they all stayed with a babysitter, they got into my makeup, and covered poor Henry in lipstick and eye shadow. Another time, Jack was roped into sticking his head between the banister, and we had to get maintenance to saw him out.

"_Hello, honey. How are you doing with the kids?"_ I was nervous to ask, but I figured he was calling for a reason.

I could hear the kids talking loudly in the background, and Finn trying to settle them down. "_Well, they all have ten fingers and ten toes…"_

"_Finn."_ I said a little sternly. I wasn't really in the mood for his jokes, and just wanted to know what was wrong.

"_Sorry, it's just..don't be mad and don't panic, please."_ He pleaded over the phone

"_When you say the words 'don't panic' or 'please don't get mad', it usually ends with me being both. Just tell me and I'll try to stay calm. I'm with Kurt and Santana, so they will help calm me if need be."_ I placed the phone on speaker so they could listen in.

"_Ok."_ Finn said slowly, and I could tell he was nervous for my response. It obviously wasn't too big of a deal since he could take this long to tell me. If something really bad had happened, he would have told me already. "_So, I was helping Henry go to the bathroom, and I left the kids at the table with the arts and crafts. When I came back, I realized that we had forgotten to take the scissors out of the box. Long story short, Jack, Conner, and Liv gave themselves a little haircut." _ He breathed of a huge breath of relief once the story was finally out in the open.

My mouth dropped open, and I was staring at Kurt and Santana, who looked at me the same way.

"_Uhh, how bad is it?"_ I was a little afraid to ask, but wanted to be prepared when I came home and saw them.

"_Well, I think you should come home…and then we will need to go to the salon."_ I could hear the humor in his voice as he was looking at their disastrous haircuts. I wanted to be mad, but how could I? Kids do this all the time, and it was bound to happen. I just hoped it was fixable.

I chuckled into the phone a bit, and Santana laughed as well. Kurt remained serious, and I could tell he was not happy. He would definitely want to come with me and take them to the salon to make sure they still looked adorable.

"Alright, we're coming. I'll call Quinn and tell her." I hung up and called Quinn to tell her. She had a pretty relaxed response as well, and said she would meet us there.

We arrived home thirty minutes later, and I was nervous to see what they had done to themselves. I was less worried about the boys, they didn't have that much hair and would look fine bald, but Olivia's beautiful hair was past her shoulders and I really didn't want to shave it all off. Oh well, I thought. It's just hair and it will grow back.

"_If we have to shave Livy's head, I will kill that brother of mine."_ Kurt said angrily. I laughed and patted his shoulder in comfort.

"_Don't worry, I'm sure it's not that bad."_

Finn walked up to us and gave me a quick kiss in hello, and then motioned to the coach where all four were now watching Mulan.

"_How perfect!"_ Santana said. "_Doesn't Mulan chop all of her hair off in this movie in order to pass as a boy?"_ Kurt and Finn gave her a glare, but I giggled.

"_Why the heck are you laughing? You should be freaking out right now!" _Kurt yelled

"_I don't know why I'm acting so calm, but I think this is pretty funny. It must be the pregnancy hormones."_

I finally got a good look at the motely cru and was a little surprised by what I saw. Jack looked like he literally took his hair and cut directly at the scalp, but mostly only in the front. Conner looked pretty similar, with some pieces on the sides cut really short too. Olivia, who had been wearing braids, looked a mess. One braid was perfectly normal, but the other had come out and the hair was cut really uneven. Some of the chops were pretty short, especially in the front. I walked over to them and rubbed Conner and Jacks heads.

"_What did you guys do?"_ I said as I was shaking my head.

"_We needed haircuts, mommy."_ Jack said, and he was beaming as if he had done something great.

"_I can see that. How about next time, you tell daddy or I that you want your haircut and we get it done professionally, ok?"_ I moved over to Olivia who was intensely watching the movie and touched her chopped up hair. "_Now we have to go get this fixed. Please don't do this again."_

* * *

We were able to get an appointment with my hairdresser right after they normally closed, so Finn, Kurt, Santana, and Quinn took the kids to get their hair fixed at the empty salon.

Jack was in the chair first, and Donovan huffed. "_Alright, I looks like he really did a number on his hair. Honestly, I think we should just buzz it off. I won't need to shave him bald, but he cut it really short up front, and I don't think any other haircut will look work."_

"_Yeah, that's what I was thinking when I first saw it. His hair grows really fast, and we are going on vacation so at least he will be cooler."_ Donovan got out the clippers and began buzzing his hair off. Jack got a little panicky, but I just reminded him that he was the one that cut his hair.

Conner had to get the same haircut, so after they were done, they were both really happy they were twins. Olivia was last in the chair, and I was a little nervous about what he could do. I hadn't had time to take it out of the braids, so I really didn't know the extent of damage.

"_Alright, Livy, let's see what we have to work with."_ He unbraided the side she hadn't touched, and I saw how long it had gotten. Her chocolate brown hair was straight and nearing the middle of her back. The other side was cut raggedly and choppy with the shortest piece in the front up to her ear.

Donavan brushed her hair out with his fingers and we all took a moment to examine the self-made style.

"_It's not as bad as it could be. I think we will have to cut a good bit off, but we could give her a really cute little style."_ He smiled at me through the mirror, and I smiled back.

"_Work you magic!"_

* * *

40 minutes later, Olivia was all done, and she looked adorable. He had managed to keep a lot more length than I originally thought, and it was cut just above her shoulders. He was able to blend the shorter pieces that she'd cut into layers, and the really short piece in the front was cut into side sweeping bangs. Her haircut look a lot like mine actually, but just shorter.

"_All done!"_ Donovan announced.

Kurt clapped his hands and jumped up and down. "_Oh thank you! I was so worried my beautiful niece was going to have to go bald."_ We all laughed at Kurt, but we were all silently thankful that wasn't the case, especially Finn.

"_I am so sorry, Rach. I should have been watching at all times-"_ Finn said for the billionth time today. I placed my lips on his to stop him, and let them move against him until I felt him relax into the kiss.

"_I've told you, it's alright. You were trying watching four crazy kids, and they are all ok. Hopefully they've learned their lesson, and won't go cutting their own hair again."_

* * *

July 2022

It's been a couple of weeks since we've returned from paradise, and I miss it so much. I want to go back already, but I think that will be our last big vacation for a while considering I'm having another baby soon. I'm about seven months pregnant, and still feel amazing, thank god!

The trip was exactly what all of us needed—to get away for some sun and relaxation together—and we have all come back refreshed and better than ever. The kids loved the trip, playing in the ocean, trying new foods, and making friends with the local children. And us adults got some alone time because we invited Zoe to come along to act as a nanny on vacation, and she was ecstatic to join us. She was able to go off and enjoy herself for a lot of the trip, but helped keep an eye on the kids, and watched them some nights so we could relax a bit. It really was a great vacation before everything gets hectic again.

Finn went back to work, and was busier than ever when we returned. Hudson Global just purchased the luxurious W Hotel in the city, so he was preoccupied with that. I, on the other hand, had been busy planning the huge charity event I was putting on in couple days. It was extremely stressful, but at least I had a lot of help putting it together.

The Gold Star Charity Ball was being held on July 21st at the MET, and would be attended by celebrities, athletes, and other distinguished guests. It would include dinner, an auction, and a surprise performance by the 2012 Glee National Champions (us!). I was so excited for the press the charity was receiving, and the donations pouring in because of the high profile attendees.

I was also beyond thrilled that I would get to sing with all of my friends again. It had been 10 years since we had all sung together on stage, and I couldn't wait for it. I had planned it out so this event landed on the Friday before our high school reunion, meaning everyone would come to New York before, and then travel to Lima the next day for the actual reunion. I had even managed to convince Will, Emma, and their two boys to come down to see all of us perform.

I picked up the phone and dialed Finn's number. He answered after three rings.

"_Hey, Rach"_

"_Hi, honey. How's work?"_

"_Busy. Really busy. It's just one meeting after another. How about you? I know you've been working on the charity event."_ I could hear the strain in his voice.

"_I'm pretty busy too, but thankfully Ashley and Tony are taking their jobs as event coordinators seriously, and all I have to do is approve everything. I'm sorry you're so stressed. Do you think you'll be home for dinner?"_ He had been working late every night this week, not even making it home before I went to bed at 11.

He let out a long breath and I knew what his answer would be. "_No, it's going to be another long night, but I promise I'm almost done with this project. I just want to get it done before the baby comes so I'll be available a lot more."_

"_I understand Finn. Just keep working, and I'll work on getting that tension out when you come home."_ I tried to say it in my most seductive voice, and I'm pretty sure it worked when I heard him sigh.

"_Mmm that sounds nice, but isn't it me who should be relaxing you, since you're the pregnant one?"_

"_Oh, baby, what I have in mind will make us both really relaxed."_ I murmured through the line quietly.

"_Fuck, Rach. You have no idea how hard I just got thinking about you. Can't wait to come home to you, beautiful."_

I closed my eyes and let his words sink in. "_I love you, Finn. See you later tonight."_

"_Love you too. Bye."_

We hung up, and I immediately called Santana to see if she wanted to come over for dinner.

"_Hey bitch. What's up?"_ I wasn't surprised by her crass introduction because that's how she answered all of my calls.

"_Hey, San. I was wondering if you wanted to come over after work for dinner. I was planning on making your favorite, chicken parmesan."_

"_Yeah, sure. Sounds good. I'll probably be done here around 6, so I can be there at 6:30. Do you want me to bring anything?"_

"_Nope. I'm going shopping with Quinn and Kurt soon, so I'll just pick up what I need then. See you tonight!"_

"_Alright, see you then Berry."_

I finished the email I was sending to my event coordinators, and got up to wake up Olivia and Jack from their nap. We were going shopping for a gown for Quinn and I for the ball, and I needed to get them ready so we could leave.

I went down to Quinn's apartment on the 15th floor, and we walked out together with the kids in strollers. We met Kurt at Bergdorf Goodman and began browsing through the racks.

"_Quinn, I think this would look divine on you!"_ Kurt said as he held up a pale green dress.

"_Ooh, that color would look great with your eyes. Try it on!"_ I smiled at her, and she complied.

Kurt and I sat down on the couches by the dressing rooms with the kids, and let them out to explore a little bit. They had been getting cranky just sitting in their strollers while there was so much going on around them.

"_Mommy, I want to try on a pretty dress too!"_ Olivia said. She was jumping up and down and pulling on my dress to get my attention.

"_Sweetheart, these are too big for you. But, maybe if you ask uncle Kurt nicely, he will take you shopping for your own pretty dress."_

She immediately ran over to Kurt, who was beaming from ear to ear.

"_Uncle Kurtie! Pretty please can I have a fancy dress like mommy and Quinny?"_ Her chocolate brown eyes were sparkling with excitement and she was doing the classic Rachel Berry puppy dog face. No one could resist such a face—I would know.

"_I would love to Livy! Maybe before you start school, huh?"_

"_Yay! I love you uncle Kurt!"_ She hugged him, and then went off to see what the boys were up to, which was hiding in the dress racks.

"_I love that girl! She loves fashion just like her uncle!"_ He was grinning like an idiot and I couldn't help but smile in return.

"_I love her too. But now I need to go stop those kids from banning us from Bergdorf's for life. Be right back."_

I managed to get all four of the kids out of the racks and back over to the dressing rooms by promising ice cream after we finished here. I know bribing wasn't the best parenting technique, but any parent who said they never did it was lying. Sometimes it was the best solution.

"_Ok, I'm coming out."_ Quinn said loudly as she opened the door. She walked out and both Kurt and I gasped.

"_Oh, Quinn! You look beautiful. That's the dress!"_ I got up and stood behind her as she looked in the full-length mirror at herself. She had a small smile on her face and she was stroking the fabric down her body.

"_I completely agree! I love how sexy yet sophisticated it is. The longsleves with the low cut v-neck is the perfect combination. And it hugs your body fabulously all the way to the floor."_

She decided it was the one, so now we were just searching for the perfect dress for me. This was slightly harder because I was 7 ½ months pregnant and needed to find something that would compliment my fuller figure.

I had tried on at least three dresses, and the kids were getting restless.

"_Kurt, I think we should give up. Nothing looks good."_ I was definitely feeling pretty badly about myself at this point.

"_Rach, you looked great in all of those dresses, they just weren't the ones. You are such a beautiful pregnant woman, and we will find the perfect dress for you."_

I huffed out a big breath, but kept searching through the racks. Suddenly, I felt Jack pull my arm.

"_Mommy! I found a pretty dress!"_ I smiled at him, and followed. Although he wasn't really in to fashion, he did like to help me get dressed occasionally. He led me to a white dress that was very intriguing.

"_Oh Jack, it is very pretty. Thank you for finding it. I'll try it on just for you."_ I kissed him on the cheek and went to the changing room to try it on.

Once it was on, I took a couple tentative steps out to show the group. They were all sitting on the couch waiting, and when I came out, they all looked at me silently. I went to stand in front of the mirror and finally, someone said something.

"_Mommy pretty!"_ Jack squealed and came over to hug my leg. I bent down carefully and thanked him. Then, Olivia came over too and repeated Jack's words, making me feel pretty good about the dress, although I really wanted to hear from Quinn or Kurt. Not that I didn't trust my three year olds, but I figured it would be better to get approval from adults.

"_Rach, they are right. You look breathtaking."_ Quinn was looking at me with a smile on her face.

"_Thanks"_ I felt myself blush a bit as I looked into the mirror again. It was white with one shoulder and reminded me of a Grecian goddess type dress. It hugged me at my bust, which was my best asset at the moment, and had a fairly high slit, accentuating my other best asset. Kurt came up behind me and squeezed me into his side with a grin on his face.

"_I told you we'd find something perfect. This is the one."_

* * *

As promised, we got the kids ice cream, and then went home. It was about four thirty when we got home, so I let the twins go play in their playroom, while I started dinner. I kept getting cutesy texts from Finn and couldn't help but get a little hot and bothered when reading them.

Dinner was nearly done when I heard Santana come in the door.

"_Hi Honey! I'm home!"_ She jokingly yelled out, making the twins come running down the stairs from their playroom.

She came into the kitchen just as I was taking the chicken out of the oven, and helped me set the table and get the twins their milk. We all sat down, and began eating, the twins telling Santana all about our day.

"_Tana, we went shopping with uncle Kurt and Quinny. Mommy gots a pretty dress, and she said I get to have one when I go to school."_ Olivia was talking a mile a minute, but somehow Santana was able to keep up.

"_Wow, Livy! That's so cool. Jack, did you have fun?"_

He nodded his head quickly and his eyes went huge. "_Mommy let us get ouce cream before dinner!"_ She widened her eyes and looked at me questioningly, because it was so not me.

"_Is that right?"_

The conversation continued like this for a while, until it was bath and bedtime. Santana graciously cleaned up while I bathed them and put them into bed. When I finally came down stairs again, she was sitting on the coach with a glass of red wine in her hand. I went and poured myself some water and joined her, enjoying some quiet time after a long and busy day.

"_Thank you so much for coming over and for cleaning up dinner. You didn't have to do that."_

"_I know, but you needed company. Plus, you cooked an amazing dinner, so it's the least I can do. A home cooked dinner was so much better than take-out for the third night in a row."_

I smiled at her and took a sip of my water. "_But really. Thanks. Finn's just been super busy lately, but after tomorrow, he is done with this deal and will be working from home again."_

"_That's good. I know he felt really horrible about not being there for you this week. He called me yesterday sounding very sad and guilty, but he is just doing his job. It might be hectic now, but he's very lucky he owns all of these business and companies because he can delegate most of the tasks and be with you and kids a lot of the time."_

I nodded my head, agreeing at how lucky we were. Although this had been a tough week because we hadn't seen much of each other, this was not normal. He usually only had to go into the office once or twice a week, and was able to work from home all the other days. He had so many trusted employees that he was could allow them to run the individual businesses, and he just had to oversee the big picture. Most families had two full-time working parents, and still had trouble making ends meets, and we didn't need to worry about money and had lots of flexibility.

We sat and chatted for a couple of hours by the fire, relishing the alone time.

"_So…dating anyone new?"_ I asked curiously. She had been going out on a lot of dates lately, but wouldn't tell me who with.

She smirked at me and took a swig of her wine. "_Maybe…"_

I smacked her lightly, but kept insisting. "_Tell me! I just told you all about Finn and I doing it in the janitor's closet at his office. I deserve some juicy details from you!"_

"_Fine. I am kind of seeing someone, but it's not serious at all. We just hook up. It's really nice because it's not complicated or anything—just sex."_

"_Is it just some random girl, or someone I would know?"_

"_Uhh..you know her. It's Addie…"_

I almost spit out my water after hearing that name come out of her mouth. "_What?! Addie? As in Addie Miller, my publistist?"_

She nodded her head sheepishly, and took a long drink of her wine.

"_Wow…that's a little shocking. I didn't even know she was lesbian."_ I murmured quietly.

Santana smiled evilly at that. "_Neither did she…"_

"_Santana! You just try with any girl, don't you?!"_ I smacked her hard this time. She had kissed all the girls in our glee club, slept with Brittany and Quinn, and turned multiple other's during our time in New York.

"_I can't help but go for the straight women, and they just can't say no."_ We both laughed long and hard at her statement, and counted to count all of straight women she'd been with.

As we were talking, I began to hear a quiet noise from upstairs. I realized it was Olivia crying in her room, and went upstairs to investigate. I saw Jack standing outside her room with a scared expression on his face.

"_What are you doing out of bed, Jack?"_ I picked him up and walking into Olivia's room.

"_Livy's sad and it made me sad."_

"_Aw, that's so sweet of you. Let's go make her feel better."_

I saw her lying in bed, moving around with tears running down her face, clearly having a bad dream. I gently woke her by placing my hand on her back and rubbing circles.

"_Livy, mommy's here. You're ok."_ I hummed, and saw her open her eyes slowly. She looked relieved that I was there and hugged me tightly.

Jack patted her head, "_It's ok, sissy. We's here for you."_ I almost melted as he tried to soothe his sister, and kissed his forehead.

"_Did you have a bad dream?"_ When she nodded her head, I asked what it was about.

"_I..I had a dream that a lamb throwed up on me and you and daddy weren't there. I couldn't find you and I was scared."_ I almost laughed at the first part because it was just so random, but then felt my heart break when she said Finn and I weren't there for her.

"_Livy, daddy and I will always be here for you, ok? If a lamb ever throws up on you, we will always help clean you up. It was just a dream, so let's go back to sleep because it's really late."_

They both still looked a little apprehensive about going to sleep, so I thought a nice lullaby would help get them.

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad.

Take a sad song and make it better.

Remember to let her into your heart,

Then you can start to make it better…"

I finished the song, and saw that they were both fast asleep. I figured that I would let them sleep together for tonight, not wanting to move them and wake them up. Ever since birth, they always felt more comforted when they were close to each other, so I figured it wouldn't hurt.I turned around to leave, and saw Santana standing in the doorway with a strange expression on her face.

"_What?"_ I asked

"_Nothing"_ She answered, as I shut the door. I knew she wanted to say something, but let her keep it to herself. It was getting pretty late, and she needed to get home.

We said our good byes, and I went up to the master bedroom to get ready for bed. It was already 11:30, and I didn't think I could wait for Finn and longer. I stripped myself naked and got under the covers, too hot and tired to change into sleep wear.

A little while later, I was awaken by movement in the bed. Finn looked over to me, and frowned.

"_Sorry, babe. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."_ He leaned down to give me kiss on my forehead, but I surprised him by pulling him down on top of me.

"_I suddenly feel very, very awake."_

I licked my lips and saw his eyes darken with lust and desire. He pushed the covers down and gasped when he realized I was naked. He cupped my swollen breast in one of his hands while running a cool hand down my belly to my core. He gently stroked my wet folds and I moaned in appreciation.

"_Finn…"_ I bucked my hips up, already ready for him to enter me and stop teasing me. I grabbed his hard length in my hand through his boxers and heard him yelp in surprise. "_I need you now!"_

He rolled me so I was on top and quickly removed his boxers and entered me to soothe the ache I had been feeling ever since he began sexting me this morning.

"_I love you so much, Rach."_ He moaned out as he moved quicker and quicker into me.

"_Oh Finn…I love you."_ I cried as I shook with my climax and fell to his body with exhaustion. After a week of neglect, intimacy was just what we needed.

* * *

**Reviews would be really helpful and appreciated! :)**


	17. Don't Dream It's Over

**Disclaimer: I do not own glee. Title from "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

July 21st 2022

**Finn:**

I awoke to tiny hands on my face and whispers in my ears. "_hmm"_ I hummed sleepily. I opened my eyes and saw six beautiful chocolate brown eyes looking lovingly at me.

"_Happy birthday daddy!"_ They all yelled at me, and then Jack and Olivia jumped on top of me. Rachel looked on with a hand on her belly and a grin on her face. She had given me part one of my present last night, and I like it. A lot. I was just hoping part two and three were along the same lines.

"_Thank you"_ I kissed them back and playfully hit their bottoms softly, making them squirm and giggle.

"_Ok, ok. How about we let daddy get up and we go make him his favorite breakfast."_ They got up quickly and ran out of the room to the kitchen. Rachel leaned over, giving me a great view down her tank top, and kissed me passionately. She pulled away too soon and sauntered out of the room sexily.

When I made it down the stairs to the kitchen, a stack of chocolate pancakes was waiting for me. Jack and Olivia were both sitting down in their chairs eating some pancakes and strawberries, while Rachel continued making more. I stared over at her standing barefoot in the kitchen, her pregnant belly slightly sticking out from her tight top and yoga pants, thinking she had never looked more gorgeous. When she came over to give me a cup of coffee, I took her hand and pulled her down on to my lap.

He giggled, "_Finn!"_

I kissed her stomach and then her lips. "_I love you so much. Thanks for all of this."_

She smiled back at me secretively. "_Well this isn't all. I have a couple more surprises up my sleeve."_

* * *

After a lovely breakfast together, my mom and Burt arrived. They were staying with us for the week so they could spend my birthday with me and come to the charity ball tonight. We relaxed, snacked, and watched TV—exactly what I wanted to do on my birthday.

"_Finn, can you come in here."_ I heard Rachel's voice echo from upstairs, and assumed she was in our bedroom. I got up and went to investigate what she wanted. I walked into the room, not sure what to expect, but saw her simply sitting on the edge of the bed.

"_I wanted to give you your birthday gifts, but thought it would be nice to do it in private."_ She gave me a little smirk, and I was definitely expecting round two to pick up where we left off last night.

However, she got up once I reached the bed, and went to the closet. She came out with a white molding of her pregnant belly, and when she turned it around, I saw that her handprint was in pink, Jack's was in green, and Olivia's was in purple. She also had a portrait of herself and the kids, and it was amazing. There was a big picture in the middle, with smaller candid pictures of them around it.

"_I hope you like it…"_ She was biting her lip nervously, and I wanted to go over there and bit it myself.

"_Rachel, baby, I love it! Now I'll get to remember this time in our lives forever."_ I kissed her passionately, but she pulled away.

"_I'm glad you love it! I have one more little present for you, though."_ She pulled out a box from behind her back, and handed it to me. "_I was in a vintage jewelry shop, and I saw this and instantly thought of you, well us. Not so much for the actual object but what it says." _

I was very curious, so I opened it and my jaw dropped when I saw it. Sitting in the box was a small gold, vintage pocket watch, and although I had never really thought I would want one one, as soon as it was in my hands, I loved it. I flipped it over in my hands and noticed what Rachel was talking about. On the back, in cursive, was a beautifully haunting inscription. The inscription read:

No time will be long enough with you…

Yours Forever and Faithfully,

R

1896

I read it and re-read it multiple times, trying to wrap my head around it. Finally, I was able to say something.

"_Wow…how..you just found it like this?"_

"_Yep. I was looking for jewelry for tonight, and saw some old pocket watches that were in great condition. As I was looking through them, I saw this one, and couldn't let it go. It was too perfect."_ She was looking at me tenderly, and I could feel myself get a little emotional. It felt as if this watch was made just for us.

I hugged her into me tightly and let her feel all of my love and thanks. When we finally pulled apart she smiled at me, and closed her hand over mine holding the watch.

"_I'm glad you liked it. We should get back downstairs."_ I nodded my head, still not able to talk, and followed her down stairs.

* * *

At around 5:30, Rachel went up to our room to get ready and I went up an hour later to do the same. The ball began at 7:30, and Zoe came around 7 to babysit Jack and Olivia so we could leave on time.

When Rachel opened the door to reveal herself to me, my heart almost stopped. She looked absolutely stunning. "_Wow..Rach, you look amazing. You look like a goddess."_ She really did, too. The light white fabric looked heavenly on her, making her tanned skin look even more glorious. The top showed off just the right amount of cleavage and the high slit gave her some sex appeal. Her hair hung in a loose up do, and her make-up accentuated her eyes and lips. The teal blue earrings finished off the look perfectly.

Her cheeks reddened and I knew she was a little embarrassed by my reaction. "_Thanks, Finn, You look very dashing."_

I took her hand in mine and pulled her flush with my body. I stroked her cheek gently, and looked deeply into her shinning eyes.

"_Hey Finn- oh sorry!" _We were interrupted by my mom. She looked a little embarrassed that she came in at such an intimate moment.

"_It's ok mom." _I gave Rachel a small peck on her cheek and then turned to my mom. "_What did you need?"_

"_I was just wondering if you two were ready to go?"_ She smiled at us lovingly as I nodded my head and took Rachel's hand in mine. "_Rachel, you look beautiful. I've never seen a more stunning pregnant woman. You're glow is contagious."_ She was looking between Rachel and me, and I could tell she was delighted that we were still so in love and passionate with each other.

"_Alright! Let's go raise some money for the arts!"_ Rachel exclaimed excitedly, and her glow really was infectious. I could feel my smile beaming and my mother and Burt looked the exact same way.

* * *

Rachel's dads had decided to meet us at our apartment as well, so the six of us traveled to the MET in a limo together. Rachel and I slid in first, and took the seats along the side of the car so our backs were facing the sidewalk outside. Rachel's dads followed us, and sat next to Rachel with their backs facing the driver. My mom and Burt were last to join us, and sat facing all of us in the traditional position since my mom gets car sick if she's not facing forward.

"_This is so exciting, Sweetheart!"_ Rachel's daddy shouted excitedly.

"_Daddy, you've been in a limo before!"_ Rachel responded back while smiling at him.

"_I'm not talking about this, although this is the way to arrive in style. I'm talking about the event! This is something so important and close to your heart, and you've worked so hard to raise money and awareness for the arts."_

Her dad spoke up then too. "_We are just so proud of you, Rachela."_ I could see the tears forming in all three of their eyes and I grinned at their interaction.

"_Thank you guys for being there for me and giving me all that I needed to succeed. So many people aren't as lucky, and I feel like they should be supported like I was."_ She wiped at her eyes and groaned. "_Great! You're making me mess up my make-up! No more of this mushy stuff until after, ok?"_

"_Deal!"_ They both said at the same time, and I looked over at Burt and my mom, and saw the sparkle in their eyes as well. This charity meant a lot to us because the arts and music were essential in all our lives, some way or another. Neither my mom nor Burt participated in the arts at school, however Kurt and I were, and it was as if they had saved us from ourselves. Kurt had no one before glee club, and was accepted no matter what. I, on the other hand, had everything, yet nothing. I had no real passion or dream until joining the glee club and meeting people who supported you no matter what. Not to mention we both found the love of our lives through music.

When we arrived, Rachel and I walked the red carpet together, answering questions about the importance of arts in our lives. Once we made it inside, we relaxed and allowed ourselves some fun with our friends. Tables were set up all around the ballroom with different items for people to silently bid on. Some of the top items were: tickets to see Celine Dion in Las Vegas (donated my Celion herself), an original Van Gough painting, season tickets to the Yankees, a catered meal by Hudson Sixteen, and an all expense paid trip to Cabo for five nights.

Everything was going really well, and we were meeting some really great people who cared about funding for the arts. Finally dinnertime came, so we found our table and sat down to eat. I could tell Rachel was starving because the moment her food was set down in front of her, she instantly started digging in, excusing her poor manners by citing that the baby could wait no more. Our friends laughed and told her to dig in, and within minutes we were all eating along with her.

After dinner, dancing commenced, and I took her in my arms and twirled her deftly around the dance floor (well, as deftly as I could, but I thought I did a pretty great job). We danced to a couple of slow songs, but then stopped in order to gather up the old New Directions so we could prepare for our big number.

"_I'm freakishly nervous!"_ Kurt said, and I saw some heads nod in agreement.

"_I know! I haven't sung in public in years!"_ Tina whispered, and I saw Mercedes place a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"_I haven't even sung in years…"_ Puck muttered, and saw everyone start to panic a bit.

Rachel looked at me worriedly, and pulled me off to the side. "_Finn, they are so nervous. We should have practice a bit more, shouldn't we have?"_ As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I kissed her and felt her relax into me. I knew what I had to do to get everyone to relax.

"_Alright everyone! Gather around! So I know some of you are nervous, and I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous too. I haven't sung in public for a while now, but we are the New Directions! We won nationals together because we were great together; are great together. We may not ever get a chance to sing together for an audience ever again, so let's make the best of it and enjoy ourselves. This is for Mr. Schue, this is for all the kids who love and need the arts, but most importantly, this is for us."_ I smiled around at the now determined faces surrounding me. "_Let's do this."_

* * *

Rachel:

"see trees of green... red roses too

I see em bloom... for me and for you

And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

Rachel and Finn:

I see skies of blue... clouds of white

Bright blessed days...dark sacred nights

And I think to myself ...what a wonderful world.

Blaine:

The colors of a rainbow...so pretty ..in the sky

Are also on the faces...of people ..going by

Mercedes:

I see friends shaking hands...sayin.. how do you do

They're really sayin...i love you.

Everyone:

I hear babies cry... I watch them grow

They'll learn much more...than I'll never know

And I think to myself ...what a wonderful world

Santana:

The colors of a rainbow...so pretty ..in the sky

Are there on the faces...of people ..going by

Everyone:

I see friends shaking hands...sayin.. how do you do

They're really sayin...*spoken*(I ...love...you).

Rachel and Finn:

I hear babies cry... I watch them grow

*spoken*(you know their gonna learn

A whole lot more than I'll never know)

Everyone:

And I think to myself ...what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself ...what a wonderful world."

The applause was almost deafening when we finished the last chord of the song, and as I looked out at the crowd, I saw the entire ballroom was on their feet. I turned to Rachel and saw that she had tears streaming down her eyes, and pulled her close to my chest. Enjoying the feeling of singing together once again, and letting it all sink in.

The performance had been broadcasted live, and I could hear the phones ringing off the hook with callers donating to the charity. Rachel was beaming after our performance, and was pulled from one table to the next so she could thank all the donors and attendees. Finally, after an hour of aimlessly mingling, I felt arms snake around my middle and a bump against my back.

"_Guess who."_ She said, trying to disguise her voice, but nothing could disguise her beautifully distinct voice.

I played along anyways. "_Uhh is it perhaps my secret mistress?"_ I instantly felt her loosen her grip and smack the back of my head. "_Ow! Just kidding! It's my gorgeous wife and mother to my children, Mrs. Rachel Berry Hudson."_ She liked that answer a lot better and grabbed my hand before pulling me away from the men. I had been talking to Sam and Puck, and they each gave me a pointed look, knowing she was most likely whisking me away to have her way with me.

She led me to a room right off of the ballroom and immediately started pulling at my pants. She easily undid the belt while I carefully lifted up her dress.

"_Mmm this slip makes for easy access."_ I whispered into her hair as I caressed her soaking center.

"_That's why I love it so much."_ She was yanking my pants and boxers down, releasing my length, and running her hands up and down the shaft. It was driving me wild, and I closed my eyes as I concentrated on satisfying her. I felt her shuddered around my hand and heard small breaths escaping her mouth in pure pleasure.

She swatted my hand away from her core, and kissed my jaw. "_Your turn…"_ and before I could grasp what she was saying, she lowered herself to the ground and placed me inside her mouth.

"_Oh!"_ I said, trying to muffle my cry with my hand. She was taking me inside and swirling me around as far as she could. She gently fondled my balls with one hand while sucking and pulsing harder and harder. I was on the brink of climax when she pulled my length out of her mouth and smirked up at me through long lashes. I'm pretty sure she was trying to kill me with that one look.

She stood up and turned us so she was against a small table. She used me as support to hop up on the table and then pulled me by my cock closer. It was seriously one of the sexiest things she had ever done—directing me by my length? So hot!

"_Finn, I need you inside me."_ She moaned as she guided my member to her core. She bucked her hips into my body and I felt the connection instantly. She started a slow and rhythmic motion, enjoying the contact, and then I quickened the thrusts, needing to find the release she purposely left hanging on the edge. I felt every part of her, and she felt every part of me. I kissed up and down her neck, leaving marks but not caring. She was losing her control and I felt her bite my shoulder to stop her from screaming out in pleasure.

My release was so close, so I pumped her a couple more times, making sure to get her G-spot each time. I felt her clench, still, and then relax, and knew it was her orgasm coming to fruition.

"_Finn!" _she cried out my name, and that's all it took for me to come all around her, screaming unintelligible words as a shook in my own climax.

We pulled apart and redressed, helping each other get rid of the evidence that we'd just fucked at Rachel's charity event. Unfortunately, not all of the evidence could be covered…

"_Sorry. I kind of left a couple marks."_ I rubbed the purple skin on her neck, but she simply smiled.

"_Hopefully no one will notice?"_ She said, trying to cover it up with her hair. It didn't work, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to burst her positive bubble. "_Let's get back. We probably shouldn't have been so naughty. I mean, it is my event…"_ I kissed her one last time, and pulled her out to the ball again.

"_But it was so worth it."_ I spoke into her hair.

I saw her lips go up in a small smile. "_Oh, so worth it, Mr. Hudson. Happy birthday"_

A very happy birthday indeed.

* * *

Once we returned, the ball was winding down, and Rachel needed to say a few words. I sat down at the table while she went up to the stage to thank everyone and officially announce how much money we raised.

"_Hello everyone! I would like to just say one more time how thankful I am for each and every one of your donations. You helped raise 4.7 million dollars!"_ Everyone cheered after she announced the total amount raised, happy to have beaten our goal of 2 million by more than double.

Rachel continued, "_It will help a lot of kids discover talents and passions they didn't even know they had." _ She looked directly at me as she said that, and I gave her a half smile in return. "_I know I would not be where I am today with out the support of my devoted fathers, wonderful friends, and loving husband."_ I saw her eyes begin to glisten and knew she was desperately trying to keep her tears at bay. "_I cannot count the number of times I was turned down because I didn't look right for the part, but those people made sure I never gave up on my dream. So please, please, never give up on yourself, but more importantly, never let your friends give up. Everyone needs some one to keep them going, so be that person and make a difference in their life. Believe me, it will be worth it."_ She had finally allowed for her tears to run freely, and I could see almost everyone was wiping at their eyes.

"_So thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for contributing to something that is so dear to me. I thought I would close tonight with just one more song if you'll have me?"_ The crowd went wild when she asked us if she could sing one last song, and I joined in. I had no idea she was planning this, but was very excited to hear what she was going to perform.

"_This song is dedicated to all the people who have been apart of my life…"_ She gave her fathers, myself, and all of the old glee club members meaningful looks, and then the music began playing.

"And I never thought I'd feel this way

And as far as I'm concerned

I'm glad I got the chance to say

That I do believe, I love you

And if I should ever go away

Well, then close your eyes and try

To feel the way we do today

And then if you can remember

Keep smiling, keep shining

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

That's what friends are for

For good times and bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for

Well, you came in loving me

And now there's so much more I see

And so by the way

I thank you

Oh and then for the times when we're apart

Well, then close your eyes and know

The words are coming from my heart

And then if you can remember

Keep smiling and keep shining

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

That's what friends are for

In good times and bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for

Keep smiling, keep shining

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

That's what friends are for

For good times and bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for

Keep smiling, keep shining

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

'Cause I tell you, that's what friends are for

Whoa, good times and the bad times

I'll be on your side forever more

That's what friends are for"

As the song came to a close, the room fell completely silent and I'm sure you could hear a pin drop. All of a sudden, I heard a quiet clap start from the back of the room, and then it slowly caught on until the entire room was shaking with applause. I just stood there, unable to even move my hands in a clapping motion, stunned by her voice and beauty. Rachel looked a bit overwhelmed by the response she was receiving, and was just standing on the stage awestruck.

I needed to hold her and tell her how much I loved her, so I quickly walked up to the stage and took her in my arms. Apparently the entire glee club felt the same way, because they joined me and we surrounded her in a huge group hug. We separated after a couple of seconds, and all walked off the stage and people began to mingle once again, saying their goodbyes.

"_That was incredible."_ I whispered into Rachel's ear and saw her beaming up at me.

"_Thank you. I meant every word I sang."_ She yawned then, and I laughed. It had been a long day and she had been getting tired earlier as her pregnancy progressed.

"_How about we call it a night? You need some sleep, and the event is pretty much over."_

"_That sounds perfect. I'll just go get my dads, and meet you outside."_ We parted so I could get my parents as well, and found each other again by the limo waiting to take us got into the limo and sat in the same seats we had on our way over. The driver needed to run inside to use the restroom, so we waited inside the limo, talking to each other happily. Rachel was gushing to her fathers about how many people this money will help, and they were animatedly agreeing with her. My mom and Burt looked tired, yet very much in love, and I couldn't help but think about how great tonight was. Best. Birthday. Ever.

I squeezed Rachel's hand and she looked over to me with love in her eyes. I was just about to bend my head down and kiss her, when, out of nowhere, the sides of the limo were caving in and a huge jolt knocked me away from her. The limo was assaulted from several different sides before coming to a complete stop on its side. I looked around briefly and saw that a small portion of the limo had disappeared, and stupidly wondered where it went in my hazy mind. I heard a terrifying scream and a crunch before light faded to darkness…Oh god! Rachel! Mom! The baby!

* * *

**Rachel:**

I had been about to kiss Finn, but he was yanked away from me suddenly. I felt myself being pushed and pulled in all direction, as if the car was beating up my fragile body. There was an immense pressure on my body and I desperately tried to keep my eyes open, knowing if I let them close, it would be it; I would be gone. I failed, though. I couldn't help but give into the comfort of the darkness, and let the numbness take over…

* * *

**Sorry this was so much shorter than my other chapters, but I thought this was a good place to leave it for now...cliff hanger. **

**Songs: "It's a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong and "That's What Friends are For" by Dionne Warwick**

**Review please!**


	18. Tears Streaming Down Your Face

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Title from "Fix You" by Coldplay**

* * *

**Santana:**

"_Alright, I'm leaving. Addie texted me for a booty call, and you know I can't refuse…"_ I was grinning like the chestier cat and Quinn was playfully shoving me.

"_San, I didn't need to know that! But we are going to head out too."_ She motioned at Tom and we began to walk towards the exit, we heard a booming, sickening noise outside that sounded like metal crashing into metal. Screams could be heard, and I instantly ran out of the building. It was if my body knew that this was personal; that I knew the people involved.

When I reached the street, my mouth dropped open and I stood speechless. The scene before me looked as if it was taken straight out of Grey's Anatomy or something. A large black truck had plowed directly into the front driver's side of a limo, causing the limo to flip over on its side and wrap around the lamppost, which was mere feet from me.

"_Oh my God"_ I heard Quinn whisper behind me, but my mind was replying what it had seen only a couple minutes prior…

* * *

"_Finn, are you guys ready? My feet are killing me."_ Rachel was leaning into Finn and he absentmindedly rubbed her stomach.

"_Yep. Let's get you back and I'll rub your feet."_ He gave her a wicked smile, and I was about to yell 'get a room!', but they were walking out of the building with both of their parents and sliding into a limo. A limo. That limo that sat crushed in front of me right now.

* * *

My brain went into overdrive, and I immediately felt the concrete moving under my feet before realizing that I was rushing towards the car. I heard Quinn yelling at me, asking me what I was doing, but I didn't answer. I focused all of my energy on getting to the car and praying that everyone would be ok.

I struggled to open the warped door of the limo, and felt Quinn place a hand over mine.

"_Santana! What in the world are you doing? I mean it's great that you're being a good Samaritan and all, but don't you think we should wait for the police or ambulance?"_

"_Quinn, Finn and Rachel just came out here to leave with their parents! They were in a limo…"_ I shook my head, refusing to let go of the handle and stop trying to open the door to get to our friends. I heard her gasp, and then felt her hands desperately helping me to open the door. We could hear some voices coming from inside, and could tell someone was on the other side of the door trying to push the door as well. That gave me some hope.

After a couple more pulls, we managed to open the door, and I instantly saw Burt and Carole's panicked faces come into view. They were both a little tangled in the debris of the crash, but seemed to be aware of their surroundings.

"_Are you ok?"_ Quinn asked beside me, and they both looked rather shaken up and bewildered.

"_We need to help the others! Oh God!"_ Carole cried with the most heart-wrenching expression on her features. Burt was trying to help Carole move to get out of the car, but she kept mumbling something through tears while looking over her shoulder.

As soon as they made it out, I noticed large cuts on both of their bodies, specifically a large gash across Carole's forehead. She seemed to be fading fast, and Burt was holding her up. At this point, the police and ambulances had arrived, and were approaching us quickly. They took Burt and Carole away without a word to Quinn or I, and then proceeded to dive into the wreckage.

Again, I was rendered motionless while I watched the authorities and doctors take over the scene. People were shouting for equipment and help all around us, and I felt Quinn's hand creep into my and hold it tightly for support.

"_I have a male, late twenties, trauma to the head, possible internal injuries."_ A tall woman with mocha skin shouted over the chaos to her partner. They were wheeling a stretcher from the limo to a waiting ambulance, and I felt my insides tighten.

"_Finn! That's Finn!"_ Quinn called to the paramedics and they turned to look at us just standing their.

"_Do you know the people involved in the accident?"_ The huge male paramedic asked carefully.

"_Yes! There are best friends and their parents! This is Finn Hudson." _ She was now standing by the stretcher and touching Finn's limp arm.

"_You can ride with us then. We will need as much information about him as possible so we can try and help him."_ Before I knew what was happening, Quinn was driving away from me, off to the hospital with a motionless Finn.

I spun around and took in my surroundings again. My eyes landed on a white sheet in the middle of the road, and bile rose to the front of my throat. I slowly walked towards the form, silently praying it was an illusion or some mistake.

The woman who was kneeling by the white sheet looked up at me, and must have seen the horror in my eyes because she didn't motion for me to get away.

"_Is that…fuck."_ I turned my head away, and felt tears streaming down my face.

"_Did you know him?"_ The woman's voice was soft and understanding, but what she said shocked me at the same time.

"_Did you say 'him'? It's not a tiny pregnant woman?"_ My breath was uneven and I thought I was going to pass out from lack of air to my brain.

She looked confused and shook her head. "_No. It's a man. Mid-fifties, brown hair, tall…That's all I can tell since he didn't have a wallet on him. He is pretty unrecognizable because it seems as if he was ejected from the car."_ She spoke as she went to stand up, and leave.

I flinched at what she said, but was thankful that it wasn't Rachel. However, right after that thought left my mind, another one entered. Burt, Carole, and Finn were all accounted for, so if this wasn't Rachel, that meant that the only other choice was…

"_Wait! I-I think I know who it is."_ She turned back and came towards me slowly, waiting for me to elaborate. "_My best friend's dads were with her. It could be one of them…"_

"_Ok. I know this is a really horrible thing to ask, but I need you to positively identify him so I can inform the police. He may be an organ donor, and the longer we wait, the less likely his organs will be viable to donate."_

I stood still for a moment, preparing myself for what I was about to view, but knew I had to do it. This could save lives—my friends' lives even—so I needed to be strong. I nodded my head, and she pulled back the sheet to reveal a disfigured and bloodied face.

"_I..I don't know."_ I said shaking my head and looking away. It was so difficult to look at, let alone ID the face because it was so broken and shredded.

"_I know."_ She said sympathetically. "_Just try to pick out a distinguishable feature and focus on that."_

I looked back down at the body before me, and searched for something distinct. That's when I saw it—a small star-shaped gold pin on his jacket. I knew exactly who wore that…

"_Leroy. Leroy Berry."_ I said and ran away, not able to look at my best friend's dead dad any longer.

How could this be happening? One second, we were all singing together, happier than ever, and now I was standing in the middle of a fatal car accident. I stopped running when I heard a deep voice booming over everything else.

"_Miss? Miss, can you tell me your name?"_ I immediately turned and ran towards the stretcher, knowing it could only be Rachel lying there because she was the only female left.

"_Rachel! Rachel!"_ I shouted when I got to her side.

"_Miss, I need you to stand back. She is in very critical condition, and we need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible."_ I kept jogging along side them, though.

"_This is my best friend! I'm going with you!"_

He breathed out a large sigh, but let me hop in behind him before shutting the doors.

"_How far along is she?"_ Another male paramedic said as he frantically hocked her up to machines and held pressure to her wounds.

_"She's…uh, I think she's 32 weeks. Seven and half months._" My whole body was shaking and I couldn't think straight.

The two men continued to work furiously around me, rattling off all of her extensive injuries.

_"Her arm is shattered, and it appears a couple of her ribs are broken and have punctured her lungs. Head trauma-"_

Before he could list anymore frightening injuries, the constant beeping of her heart monitor stopped, and there was just one loud sound echoing throughout the truck.

"_We're losing her! Charge to 150! Clear!"_ Before I knew what was happening, they had gotten out the defibrillator and shocked her. "_Nothing. Charge to_ _200! Clear!"_ The sound of the beeping began to fill the air, and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

A few seconds later, we reached the hospital and the back doors were ripped open to reveal a bunch of doctors and nurses ready to help.

"_Rachel Berry Hudson, 28, 32 weeks pregnant." _The man repeated her stats to the people around him as they ran her into the ER.

I silently followed them, staring down at my tiny and fragile best friend. This was the first time that I had gotten a good look at her since the crash, and I almost collapsed at the sight. I was intensely looking at her eyes when I saw them flutter a bit.

"_I think she's conscious!"_ I cried a little hysterical, which caused all of the doctors to stop their own talking and stare at me and then Rachel.

Rachel's eyes fluttered open and she was quietly whispering "_my baby" _over and over again while trying to move her broken body. The monitors still hooked up to her were going crazy, and I knew this was neither good for her nor the baby.

A small, young looking doctor moved slightly so she was in Rachel's eyesight and gently touched her cheek. "_Rachel, my name is Dr. Kesler, and I am going to do everything I can to take care of you and your baby, but you need to calm down. Can you do that for me?"_

Rachel's eyes found Dr. Kelser's and I could see the agony and fear within them. "_Save my baby. If it comes down to it, save my baby."_ As soon as those words were spoken, her eyes closed and her heart rate flat lined.

Dr. Kesler began running quicker, throwing instructions as she went. "_We need to get to surgery now!"_ and then they were gone. Rachel was gone, and I wasn't sure if I would ever see her again… 

* * *

I'm not sure how long I stood in the middle of the ER, but I was jolted from my paralysis when I heard Quinn's voice calling my name.

"_Santana!"_ She hugged me so hard and tears were streaming down her face, soaking my dress. I didn't realize my own sobs until I touched my face and saw the wetness on my hands.

"_Have you heard anything about Rachel? I've been asking since I got here, but they didn't know anything."_

"_She's bad, Quinn. Really, really bad. I rode with her and they had to take her off to surgery immediately. Her heart stopped twice…"_

"_No…This can't be happening…" _We held each other for a couple of minutes, when I finally had the courage to ask about Finn.

"_What about Finn?"_

"_He was really beat up. They took him to get a CAT scan because his head was bleeding and he was unresponsive. San, what if..what if…-_

_"We can't think like that right now!"_ I said it a little more harshly than I wanted, but I couldn't think that our best friends might not make it through the night. "_I'm sorry. We just have to calm down and figure out what's going on. I'm going to find someone who will keep us updated. Can you call Zoe and ask if she can stay with Jack and Livy tonight? They don't need to be here right now."_ She shook her head. "_Ok, good. We can meet over there when we are done." _I said, pointing to Burt and Carole Hummel, who were siting on a bed getting checked out.

* * *

**Kurt:**

_"Kurt, have I told you that you look great tonight?"_ Blaine said while we slowly came around the corner to the ballroom once again. We had snuck off to a private room for a sexy rendezvous and had been gone nearly forty-five minutes.

"_You have, but not nearly enough for my liking."_ I pouted my lips to let him know that I wanted a kiss, and he happily obliged.

"_Kurt! Blaine!"_ I heard someone scream my name, so I whipped my head around in their direction. I saw Mercedes running towards us with a scared look on her face, and knew she wasn't freaking out about a silly thing like losing her cellphone again. This was serious.

"_What is it? What's wrong?"_

She took a moment to breath and I saw her close her eyes. "I've been looking everywhere for you two! _There's been an accident…"_ As soon as the words were out of her mouth, my heart fell into my stomach.

"_What do you mean…who? Where? When?" _ I had so many questions I wanted answered. I felt Blaine take my hand in reassurance as Mercedes led us out of the building and onto the sidewalk. I stopped dead in my tracks. It was absolute chaos on the street, with flashing lights and police officers running around the scene.

"_Oh my god…"_ was all I could manage. There was blood. So. Much. Blood. The limo looked as if it had been shredded, and the front was completely torn from the rest of the car. The remainder of the limo was wrapped around the pole only a few feet away, and I almost lost it when I saw Rachel's heel laying, bloodied, on the cement.

I went to grab it, but before I could do so, I felt arms wrap tightly around me, pulling me away.

"_Don't"_ Blaine's voice was quiet and sorrowful, but serious at the same time. "_Don't think the worst until we know what's going on. We need to get to hospital now."_ I took one last look at the scene, but then let Blaine pull me away.

We walked about a block in order to catch a taxi and rode it to Lexon Hill Hospital in complete silence. The taxi pulled up to the hospital and I jumped out and ran straight into the ER. I immediately saw Carole sitting upright on a bed getting stitches on her forehead and a wound on her arm cleaned.

"_Carole!"_ She looked up at the sound of my voice, and I saw the life usually so vivid in her eyes was gone.

I panicked again. "_Is it my dad? It he alright?"_

"_I'm ok, Kurt."_ I heard from behind me, and felt him hug me close to his chest.

"_What about Finn and Rachel? The baby? Her fathers?"_ My questions were flowing out again, but I didn't care if they were frantic—I needed to know.

My father gave me a sad look. "_Son, we aren't sure how they are yet. Santana is trying to get some information."_

Just then, I heard a familiar voice screaming at a nurse.

"_If you don't give me their fucking information now, I will go all Lima Heights on your sorry ass!"_ She was getting pretty close to the lady, and I knew I needed to step in if we ever wanted the information.

I gently pulled her away from the nurse, and placed her hand in mine. "_I'm so sorry for my friend, but we are just really scared. Do you have anything on Rachel and Finn Hudson? Or Leroy and Hiram Berry?"_

The nurse began to look through her computer, and lifted her head once she found what she was looking for.

"_Mr. Hudson is in CT and Mrs. Hudson and Mr. Hiram Berry are in surgery. I'm sorry, but a Leroy Berry has not been brought in. If you just sit tight in the waiting room, I will have a doctor inform you with more information when it is known."_ She looked at us sadly and then went off in search of a doctor.

I saw Santana's face go paler than it already was at the mention of that last bit of information, and instantly got curious.

"_What is it?"_

_"I…I saw Rachel's dad, Leroy, at the scene."_ My body relaxed as soon as she said that, knowing that at least one of Rachel's dads would be ok, but then she continued. "_I had to identify his body, Kurt. He was so messed up."_ She was bawling and leaning her head against me as she spoke. I felt the air rush out of my lungs, and the relaxing feeling I had previous felt was replaced by dread. He hadn't even made it to the hospital…

We went to the waiting room and sat for what seemed like hours, but was more like 30 minutes. By this time, all of our friends were waiting with us with sad and frightened faces. Know one spoke; we all just sat or stood, waiting for news about Finn, Rachel, and Hiram.

Trying to take my mind away from the thinking the worst, I turned my attention towards the TV. That proved to be the absolute last thing I should have done, though, because the news reporter was standing right by the accident, reporting live.

"_I am reporting live from the Metropolitan Library in New York City. Behind me is the scene of a fatal car crash involving America's favorite couple, Finn and Rachel Hudson. Not much is known about the accident, however it has been confirmed that a drunk driver crashed into the stationary limousine, which was carrying the Hudson's, and both of their parents, at nearly 75 mph. We have also heard reports saying that two have been confirmed dead already, with three more in critical condition. No word yet as to if Finn or Rachel are one of the deceased. Stay tuned for an update!"_ My view of the blonde reporter was hindered when a shoe flew at the screen.

"_You bitch! You fucking little-"_ Puck managed to grab a hold of Santana before she wrecked the TV for good, but everyone's eyes were on the Latina. She didn't seem to care that she was creating a huge scene, as she simply sat back down with her hands in clenched fists. I was secretly glad that she had had that little burst because I'm sure all of us were thinking the same thing. How could the press be so ruthless and emotionless when talking about people's lives?

As I thought about everything, something suddenly crossed my mind. Olivia and Jack. All I could think about was the fact that Finn and Rachel may not make it, and tonight was the last time they would see their mom and dad alive.

* * *

We needed answers, and we needed them now. No one had spoken to us, and it had been two hours. Just as I was about to get up and scream at the receptionist, a man and a woman in scrubs came out and walked in our direction.

"_Are here for the Hudsons?"_

"_Yes!"_ A couple of us shouted together,

The doctor that had spoken looked a little surprised by our response, but didn't question us. "_My name is Dr. Peters and I am Mr. Hudson's doctor._ _Finn is stable. He sustained minor head trauma, but we ruled out any bleeding or severe brain damage. He broke two ribs and has many scrapes and bruises, but does not need surgery. We are optimistic that he will wake up with full functions and memory. He was lucky."_

_"Lucky! Compared to what?"_ Carole laughed humorlessly. She was on the verge of tears and I could tell she was trying to deal with this terrible situation as best as she could.

The doctor looked down and then looked over towards the other doctor in scrubs, who spoke next. "_I'm Dr. Kesler, and I'm Rachel's doctor. When Rachel came in, she was not in good shape-"_

_"She's pregnant…"_ Quinn was shaking as she said this, feeling the need to mention that. Even though she surely knew if she'd been working on Rachel, it felt like it was important to remind her of.

"_I know."_ She said sadly, and continued. "_Rachel is in critical condition. She was rushed into surgery as soon as she came in with extensive injuries and severe trauma to the baby. Her heart stopped twice before surgery, and stopped once more in surgery."_ All of our faces were white and my hand was shaking like crazy in Blaine's hand. Dr. Kelser looked at each of us, letting us know the severity of the situation.

_"She was just too week to continue with the surgery, so we had to close her up. We set her arm, but that was all we were able to accomplish before she flat lined and began to bleed heavily. We need to operate soon, though, or it will be fatal for her and the baby. If she makes it through the night, we will try operating first thing in the morning, and we may need to deliver the baby early. However, I feel the need to inform you that if it comes down to it, we were told to save the baby."_ She seemed to be apprehensive in saying this last part, making me think that she thought it would come down to that.

"_By who?!"_ I yelled angrily.

"_Rachel…"_ She said it quietly, and let the words sink in. She looked at Santana for confirmation, and all she did was sit down and nod solemnly.

That is when I lost it. I completely collapsed to the ground and felt the water come from my eyes without sign of stopping. This could not be happening. My beautiful best friend could die, my brother might die, and my niece or nephew wasn't even born yet and had to fight for its life. This just wasn't supposed to happen.

* * *

The doctors urged us to go home and get some rest, because we were not going to be able to see any of them until the morning anyways. It was so hard to leave, but I knew there was nothing I could do for them in the waiting room. Santana, Blaine, my parents, and I went back to Finn and Rachel's apartment, needing to feel close to them after all that was happening.

We all checked in on Olivia and Jack when we got back around 3 am, but they were both fast asleep without a care in the world. If only they knew…I had to run away before my sobs woke them, and I know that the others felt the same devastation.

I only got about five hours of sleep, and finally gave up around 8 am. I went downstairs and found Santana in the kitchen with Jack and Olivia, obviously not able to sleep any longer either.

"_Livy, can you please eat for me?"_ I heard her whine to the three year old.

"_No! I want daddy!"_ She shook her head and pouted stubbornly, and I saw Santana flinch. Breakfast was Finn's time with the kids before he went to work, and I knew they loved spending that special time with him.

"_Livy, sweetheart, daddy can't be here this morning, but I know he would want you to eat your breakfast."_ She had tears in her eyes, and I felt them forming in mine as well. She turned to me, and shook her head sadly.

"_Santy, I'm eating! Daddy always says I'm a big boy!"_ Jack was smiling as he forked some more fruit into his mouth, and she gave him a sad smile.

"_Thank you, Jack."_ She got up and went to refill her coffee, pouring me a cup as well.

"_Thanks. Couldn't sleep anymore either?"_

"_Nope. Jack came into the room and said he was hungry, so I figured we should try to keep it as normal as possible. They keep asking where Rachel and Finn are though, and it kills me. What do we say, Kurt?"_

_"I don't know."_ I said quietly, because, honestly, I had no clue how to tell three year olds that their parents were badly hurt. They would want to kiss the owies and make it all better. Sadly, that would not work.

I patted her shoulder and took her spot, taking a turn at trying to get Olivia to eat something. Just then, the phone rung and I made eye contact with Santana. We were both thinking the same thing—it's probably the hospital calling, and it could be good news or really, really horrible news.

She reached for the phone and answered hesitantly.

"_Hello?"_ She listened for a second before speaking again. "_Yes, this is Santana Lopez."_ Her face was hard to read, but something in the way she was sinking farther into the seat made me sick. "_I..oh no…oh. Alright…ok, yes, I'll be there as soon as I can."_ She hung up and looked directly in my eyes.

"_What?"_ There was no emotion in my voice as I asked. I was tired and broken at this point and expected the worst.

"_Mr. Berry woke up this morning, and they told him what happened. He is really distraught, so they thought it would help if we came down seeing as we would be a familiar face." _I closed my eyes and waited for her to continue. "_They also said that they are planning on taking Rachel in for surgery again soon because if they don't, she will not make it through the morning. We should probably get over there now so we can see her before…"_

"_Ok. I'll go wake up Blaine and my parents so we can go now. They can bring Livy and Jack a little later."_

* * *

Santana and I got to the hospital thirty minutes later, and were directed to Hiram's room. The doctors told us that his weakened heart had struggled during surgery, but he was able to make it out alive. They were optimistic that he would make a full recovery, however his mental health was another situation. He had just been told that his husband was dead and his beloved, pregnant daughter was in critical condition. He was reacting like any person in his position would, at least in my opinion.

We slipped into the room quietly, seeing him sitting up and staring off into space. He noticed our approach and turned in our direction with a sad expression on his face.

"_Have you heard anything about Rachel and the baby? What about Finn?"_ He asked weakly, coughing a bit as well.

We each took a seat next to him and shook our heads. "_We haven't heard much other than they are going to take her back into surgery soon. She is still really weak and in bad condition, but they can't wait any longer. It's bad, Mr. Berry…"_ Santana said without being able to make eye contact. "_And Finn is still unconscious, so they cannot assess the extent of his injuries, but they believe he will make a full recovery."_

The tears running down Mr. Berry's face were clear and the sobs that emanated from his body were visible in the dim room. He was shaking uncontrollably and his vital signs began to pick up slightly, though not enough to alarm the nurses who monitor his stats in the hallway.

"_Why, oh why, did this happen? Leroy…and my angel may be lost too! Oh god!"_ He was crying through short breaths and it was started to worry me how out of breath he sounded as he talked. It was as if he couldn't get enough air in his lungs.

"_Mr. Berry, Hiram,"_ I touched his shoulder gently to clam him down and spoke as calmly as I was able to given the situation. "_all we can do now is wait and hope for_-" I was cut off of my the sudden sound of his machines going crazy and his heart rate flat lining.

Nurses and doctors rushed in and pushed Santana and I out of the way as they placed his bed flat and began feeling for a pulse.

"I can't find a_ pulse. 500 of epi! Charge to 200! Clear!"_ The male doctor shocked Hiram with the paddles, but nothing changed. "_Charge to 250! Clear!" _He did it again, and again, and again, with no response. "_Time of death, 9:04 AM."_ He finally said, and all of the hands that had been frantically trying to save him unhooked the wires and tubes from his body, and retreated from the room.

The doctor came over to Santana and I, who were still standing in the corner with ashen faces and shocked looks upon our faces.

"_I'm so sorry. I guess his heart just wasn't strong enough, and the stress of the accident combined with his great loss was too much. Now, I know you are not family, but seeing as he has none at the moment, I think its important to inform you that Mr. Berry was an organ donor. Although his heart is not viable, we are hopeful we will be able to retrieve other vital organs and save many lives, maybe even his daughters."_ He gave us each a small squeeze on our shoulders before guiding us out of the room with the dead Mr. Berry.

"_I-We just saw him die."_ I whispered to no one in particular.

Santana clearly heard me because she said, "_I know."_ It was simple, but what else was she supposed to say? This wasn't the first time she saw a dead body, having seen Rachel's other dad's body on the accident site. There were no words to describe the feelings we were having, so we didn't even try. We simple allowed ourselves to stand there for a couple of minutes in shock, and then made ourselves put one foot in front of other. We still needed to see Rachel before she went to surgery, and we had to prepare for what we were about to see. This was going to be absolutely horrible, but we had to do it. If we didn't see her now, we might never see her alive again—even if she was unconscious, she was still breathing and her heart was beating.

When we reached her room in the intensive care unit, Carole, my dad, Quinn, and the twins were waiting. I almost felt a feint smiled pull at me lips at what Olivia was wearing—her favorite princess was Belle and she refused to leave the house without her yellow princess gown and plastic high heels—but what just occurred was still strong in my mind. They looked up in our direction, and must have seen our pained expressions, because they instantly asked what was up.

"_Are you two alright?"_ My father asked with a serious expression on his face.

I looked at the group and the Santana, hoping she could talk because I didn't want to tell them.

"_We just saw Hiram…he was really weak and upset and then he..he died. Right there in front of us. They tried to revive him several times, but it didn't work. He's gone."_

"_Oh no!"_ Carole gasped as she turned into my father's chest to burry her face and cry. Quinn came running over and hugged Santana and I tightly, crying as well. We were all too caught up in our own sorrow that we failed to remember that Olivia and Jack were still standing with us.

"_Grandma, why are you so sad?"_ Jack asked with his head cocked to the side. He reminded me so much of Finn in that moment, with his sincere concern, and I know Carole saw it too.

She turned and bent down to his level, trying to replace her sadness with a smile. "_Oh, Jack, sometimes sad things happen, but I know what will make me feel better. A great big Jack hug. Come here, darling."_ She picked him up and hugged him close to her chest.

Just then, Dr. Kelser came out of Rachel's room, and looked at all of us seriously.

"_ I'm so sorry, I just heard about Hiram Berry. I know this is a very difficult time for you all, but Rachel is prepped for surgery, so you need to see her quickly before we take her away."_ She opened the door to the room, reminding us not to touch Rachel or talk too loudly, and then left us alone. The beeping of her heart was the first thing I noticed when I walked inside.

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

I was the first through the door, and I had to remind myself to keep walking once my eyes found her form in the bed. As I got closer, I saw how badly hurt she was, and that was only on the outside—she had so many more serious injuries on the inside. Her face was paler than I've ever seen it and was covered with multiple cuts from the glass and a couple of bruises peppering her beautiful face. There were still remnants of dried blood in her dark, messy hair, which took me back to the scene and her bloodied heel. Her left arm was sporting a white cast up to her shoulder, and her head and multiple other body parts were wrapped up in white gauze.

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

Her body looked tiny and broken in the huge bed, and her protruding belly seemed so out of place among the damage to her body and the massive amounts of wires. She had machines all around her, making quiet humming and beeping noises, telling us she was, indeed, alive. We all surrounded her and stared at her sad body, not sure what we were supposed to do or say. Olivia was the one that broke the silence.

She ran up to the bed, heels clinking against the tile floor, and Santana had to grab her before she pulled a wire loose or caused any more damage.

"_Mommy!" _she had a huge grin on her face at the realization that she was seeing her mother, however her face changed as soon as she got a better look. "_Mommy? Mommy wake up!"_

_"Shh, Livs, you need to use your indoor voice." _Santana said as she placed her finger to her lips to demonstrate being quiet.

Olivia looked back at Rachel and had a confused expression on her face. "_Why is mommy sleeping?" _She whispered this time.

All of the adults looked over at Olivia, not sure how to answer to question. Finally, my dad scooped her up into her arms and answered.

"_Sweetie, mommy is sick and needs her rest to get better. Why don't I take you and your brother to get some chocolate pudding."_ He motioned for Carole to follow with Jack and they left us alone with Rachel.

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

"_This is just so surreal." _Quinn said, shaking her head and sitting next to Rachel. I could see that she wanted to take her good hand in her own, but knew that the doctor said it could be dangerous. The slightest of movements could jeopardize her health at this point and we were going to do everything in our power to see her get through this alive.

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

Santana and I remained standing, but came closer to her bed.

"_Hey Rachel."_ I said, not sure what to say but wanting to speak to her. "_We are all here—Quinn, Santana, and I—and we know your so strong for even making it this far, but you need to keep fighting."_ I was too choked up to say anything else, but I was happy to have gotten to say something.

"_Kurt's right, Rach. You need to keep doing what you're doing and come back to us. Your kids need you, Finn needs you, and we need you."_ She didn't get too far either, before she was uncontrollably crying and unable to finish.

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

It was quiet for a minute, but then Santana came closer to her bed. "_Look, Berry-" _but before she could even start, a couple of nurses came in and checked her vitals.

_"Sorry," _one said sheepishly. "_don't mind us. Keep talking to her if you'd like—she may be able to hear you. We just need to check her before her surgery."_ Santana didn't continue, though, because she didn't feel comfortable talking in front of the unfamiliar people.

We sat there in silence while they went around Rachel, just enjoying being in her presence for the time being. The door opened again, and this time, Dr. Kesler came in.

"_Alright, guys, we need to take her to-" _

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep….

Rapid beeping. She was interrupted by a loud, fast beeping coming from the side of the bed. All of the nursed rushed to Rachel's side and all I could think of was this could not be happening. Just a little while ago, Santana and I were hearing the same noises right before Mr. Berry flat lined and died.

"_Her body is in shock! We need to get her to surgery immediately!"_ Dr. Kesler shouted to the nurses and they began moving rapidly out of the room and down the hallway with the bed. We followed behind, stunned by what just happened. A nurse who had been in the room with us noticed our panic, and came over to talk to us.

"_They are taking her to surgery now, and I will make sure that you are updated as often as possible. It will be a long surgery, though, so be prepared to wait a while."_

"_What happened in there? What's wrong with her?"_ I asked her.

She frowned. "_They can't be sure until they get in there, but it looks as if the trauma to her body was too much and her body began to shut down. The baby was not getting enough blood or oxygen, causing even more stress to her already fragile body. I'll be sure to have them update you during the surgery. I have just set up Mr. Hudson in a private room, so you and your family can wait there for news."_ She walked away, leaving us in silence.

At least we could go and see Finn, and hopefully he would wake up soon. Although, I have no idea how any of us were going to tell him what happened or where Rachel was. Over and over in my head, I kept thinking: "how could this be happening?", "What did they ever do to deserve this?", and "please, please be ok". The last thought was most essential.

* * *

**Hey guys! I know it took a little bit to update this story and I left you all hanging, but I wanted to spend time making it just right. Hope you enjoy, and review! Not too much story left...**


	19. Every Place I'll Go, I'll Think of You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Title from "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver**

**This is the end, so please enjoy and review! **

* * *

**Santana:**

We had been waiting in Finn's room for more than three hours, and still hadn't heard news about Rachel. I know they said it would be a long surgery, but you'd think they would give us updates. There wasn't much to keep us distracted because we were all afraid of turning on the TV and seeing reporters talking about the accident. It was all over every news outlet, and Addie was seriously trying to take care of it so we didn't have to worry, but the photographers and journalists hanging outside the hospital doors made it impossible to forget. Some crazy reporter even snuck into the ICU to try and get some scoop but was tackled and arrested before making it very far. Security had been put on high alert and I was thankful that the hospital was used to high profile patients or I'm sure this would have been even more devastating than it already was.

Finn was unconscious, yet breathing on his own, which the doctors assured all of us was a great sign. Blaine and Burt had taken the twins to the park down the street to get them moving, but we wanted them to be here when Finn woke up. Pretty much the only thing that would stop Finn from having an absolute mental break down were his children. Just as I was thinking about Finn waking up, I saw his hand spasm.

Carole must have seen it as well because she jumped up and looked intensely at him. "_Finn? Can you hear me? It's your mom. I love you so much."_ Her tears were falling slowly and she tightened her grip on his hand.

A few seconds went by, but nothing changed. The doctors said that he may have muscle spasms in his sleep because he was dehydrated, but this seemed way more real. We all held our breath and watched for any movement, and finally, we saw his hand move again, but this time, his fingers moved and it was deliberate.

"_Finn!" _we all shouted together, knowing that we probably shouldn't shout, but not being able to stop ourselves.

His eyelids fluttered a bit and then his eyes fully opened, blinking a couple times rapidly to get used to the bright lights. We knew this was going to be terrible for him, so we remained quiet and allowed him to take in his surroundings.

* * *

**Finn:**

I heard a feint voice calling my name, and it reminded me of my mother's, but I couldn't quite decipher who it belonged to. My head felt foggy and I desperately tried to push through it to break the surface and understand what was going on. Finally, I felt my eyes open and saw bright white everywhere. Was I blind? But then my vision got clearer as I got used to the light, and I realized I was lying in a hospital bed with my mom, Santana, Kurt, and Quinn surrounding me. Where's Rach?

My mother's voice was calm and quiet, as if she didn't know if I could hear her. "_Finn…"_

My mouth felt dry but I tried talking back anyways. "_mom"_ It came out really weak, weaker than I wanted, but they noticed my throat was dry and Kurt quickly left to get some water, and probably a doctor. It remained silent until a man in a white coat came through the door with Kurt. They handed me a glass of water and I weakly drank from it, almost emptying it completely in two gulps.

"_Mr. Hudson, how are you feeling?"_ the doctor asked as he flashed a light in my eyes and checked my vitals.

"_Uh sore. My head hurts...What happened and where is Rachel?"_ My head was running through everything I could remember, but it hurt my head to think too hard so I stopped.

Apparently, this was not what everyone was hoping I'd say because all of their faces became paler than they already were and they looked around at each other in panic.

Santana came over to me and put her face into mine, eyes huge. "_Finn, do you know who I am?"_

I couldn't help it. I broke out into soft laughter because how could I forget Santana Lopez. "_Yes, Santana, I know who you are. Why are you even asking?"_

The doctor spoke up this time. "_Finn, you were in an accident and you hit your head. Do you remember anything about that_?"He said it in a way that made me nervous, like something really bad happened.

I racked my mind for anything, closing my eyes and trying to go back to the last thing I remembered. "_I..we were at the charity event. We sang a song, and then Rachel sang to all of us."_ I couldn't help but smile at the memory of my beautiful wife pouring her heart and soul into thanking all of us for being there for her. "_And then…Rachel was tired, so we went out to the limo to leave…we were waiting and then…I…it was loud..Oh God…"_ It all came back to me. We were waiting for the driver and then, all of a sudden we were thrown and jolted in the car. Crunching of mental and screams echoed through my ears as the scene came back to me.

"_Rachel! Oh fuck. Tell me she's ok?"_ I asked, begged, my mother. She was in the vehicle with us, and she seemed perfectly fine despite the small bandage on her forehead. Rachel and the baby might be ok, right? But her eyes told me other wise. "_Oh no, no no no no no."_ I felt my breath leave me, and I was panicking.

My mother and brother came on either side of me and grabbed my hand, trying to calm me down and telling me to breath.

"_Finn, please breath. Listen to me."_ Kurt's face was serious and I looked into his grey eyes, desperately trying to listen to what he was saying. "_Rachel is in surgery. She is in critical condition, but Finn, she is alive right now and so is the baby. You need to be strong, ok? We can't give up."_

I knew he was right, but all I could think about was how my wife was fighting for her life, while I sat here perfectly fine. Why couldn't it have been me? I felt the tears sliding down my cheeks, but didn't care who saw me crying. My tears caused a domino effect, and soon, everyone was crying in the room except the doctor.

He turned to leave but stopped before he was out of the door. "_I am going to try and get an update on your wife."_

As he walked out, Blaine and Burt came in with the twins, and I instantly wiped the tears off my face. They didn't need to see me crying, or it would make them panic and hysterical.

"_Daddy! Daddy!"_ There voices rang out in the quiet room, and I placed a false smile on my lips. They ran to the side of my bed, and were struggling to try and get up into it with me. "_Up!"_ Jack finally said while holding his hands up, wanting me to help him up on the bed. I knew I wasn't strong enough though, so Quinn lifted them up and sat them on either side of me.

"_You need to be careful, ok?"_ She said as she placed them next to me, and they vigorously nodded their head.

"_We be very careful. Just like mommy?"_ Olivia asked Quinn, and Quinn looked a little sheepishly at me before nodding her head 'yes'. Did that mean they had seen Rachel? My silent question must have been evident on my face because Quinn nodded her head again to answer.

Forty minutes later, Jack and Olivia were sitting with me telling me about everything I missed while I was asleep. I had no clue I could have missed so much in just a day and a half, but they proved me wrong.

"_And then Uncle Kurt said we could watch Thomas the Tank Engine's Great Adventure! It's my favoritest, daddy."_ Jack was so excited that his chocolate brown eyes were as big as saucer and his smile was so wide, showing his tiny dimples.

"_I know, buddy."_ I said, laughing lightly at him and rubbing his messy dark hair. Olivia pulled on my arm, trying to take the attention away from her brother and back on her.

"_But daddy, I didn't want to watch that, so Aunt Santy and I watched Beauty and the Beast! I singed the whole time, just like mommy in her show!"_

I felt my smile slacken at the mention of Rachel, but tried not to let her see. Instead, I touched her outfit and noticed a big chocolate stain on the skirt. "_Livy, how did you get this? If we don't wash it soon, it will be stained forever and you wont be able to wear it."_

Her face changed to one of horror and I saw the glisten start in her eyes. Burt chuckled lowly, "_that's what I told her, but she refused to take it off."_

"_I can't take it off or it will lose its magical powers. I want to be a princess went I'm old, just like mommy! Only mommy has the special magical princess soap that can clean it."_ She said this matter-of-factly, and as much as it pained me to talk about Rachel, I couldn't help but smile at how she managed to get our little diva to take the dress off with the elaborate lie.

"_You know, I think mommy gave some of that special soap to Grandma because mommy is a good sharer. How about you let Grandma wash it so you can be a perfectly clean princess?"_ Olivia thought about it seriously for a second, and then she was standing up on the bed, removing the dress from her body until she was completely naked except for her Belle underwear.

Everyone was laughing at her and she looked around at all of us as if to say, 'what are you looking at?'

"_Olivia! You silly girl! Daddy meant when we go home later." _My mom said as she took Olivia in her arms and kissed her naked belly, making her squeal and laugh her beautiful little laugh.

Jack tapped me on my shoulder and put his mouth up to me ear. "_Daddy, Livy is naked!"_ He was giggling too, and I couldn't help but pull him into my lap and tickle him softly as well.

We were all distracted by a minute of happiness—momentarily forgetting the pain and despair we were suffering from—that we didn't even notice when the female doctor came in with a serious expression on her face. She cleared her throat, getting our attention, and everyone became silent to hear what she had to say.

"_Mr. Hudson,"_ She said as she came over to shake my hand. "_I am your wife's doctor. As I have told your family and friends, Rachel's injuries were very serious. When we took her into surgery, we discovered that the damage was worse than we initially believed. Her broken ribs punctured both her lungs, and they also nicked her heart—that is why her heart kept stopping. We knew we needed to deliver the baby as soon as possible because she was already losing too much blood and her organs were starting to shut down. I finally stopped the bleeping and made the repair, but she lost so much blood…"_

Hearing her words made my world crash. What was she saying? Was Rachel dead?

She looked right at me as she spoke again. "_She is out of surgery, but we do not know if she will wake up. The hemorrhaging caused her heart to not be able to pump enough blood to the rest of her body, and may have caused severe brain damage. We can bring her in here for recovery so you can be with her, but it must be calm in here if we do so."_ She looked at the kids, and I knew she was talking about what she had walked in on.

I nodded my head solemnly in agreement, because I would do anything to have Rachel here with me.

"_What about the baby? You said you delivered the baby?"_ My mother's soft question rang through the room, and we all turned towards the doctor. I forgot in all of this that my little baby was fighting for his or her life as well.

The doctor had a small smile on her face. "_Yes, congratulations. You have a baby girl—3 lbs 13 oz, born July 22__nd__, 2022 at 1:34 pm. Since she was born 6 weeks early, she must stay in the NICU for a while until she can breath on her own and gets her weight up, but there are no serious complication. A nurse can bring her in here for a little bit so you can meet her when they bring Rachel in." _

* * *

An hour later, a knock on the door alerted us to the nurses bringing Rachel in. I was absolutely terrified to see her because it would make this feel so much more real. They slowly wheeled her bed in and the first thing I saw was her brown hair on the white bed sheets. They moved her so that she was situated next to me, about ten feet from me, and that's when I saw her entire body. She looked unbelievably pale and her body was shaking slightly. The nurses told us that it was a result of the massive blood loss, but it didn't help ease my fear. She looked dead. There is no other way to describe her than that, and I struggled to keep the tears at bay.

Thankfully, we had prepared the twins for seeing Rach, and they were very silent and just watched from my lap with serious expressions. It also helped that it was around their usual naptime and they were getting sleepy.

Next, they wheeled our baby girl into the room in her incubator, right between Rachel and I. She was extremely tiny and had a machine helping her breath, but she was beautiful. The adults in the room went over and examined her through the glass.

"_Oh, she's tiny but perfect, Finn."_ My mom said and I could see the tears in her eyes.

"_She looks so much like Olivia and Jack when they were born, but just miniature."_ Santana cooed as she reached in the little hole and gently touched her hand.

The nurse smiled at us as we looked adoringly at the tiny girl and turned towards me with her question.

"_Well dad, right now we have her down as Baby Girl Hudson. Did you have a name picked out?"_

All eyes focused on me and I looked over at Rachel, wishing she would just wake up and get to experience this with me. This pregnancy was such a shock but meant so much to us because we knew it was are last.

Olivia popped her head up and looked at me sleepily. "_I think her name should be Belle, daddy."_ But before I could replay, Jack peaked his head up and shook it.

"_No, it be Thomas the tank engine."_

I looked down at my two lovable kids, and shook my head. "_I'm sorry, but mommy already had a name picked out."_ I glanced at Rachel one last time and then around the room at our family and friends. They all had tears in their eyes because this little girl may be the last bit of Rachel we would have. "_Her name is Charlotte. Charlotte Rose Berry Hudson."_ The name 'Rose' was for the first letter in Rachel's name and 'Berry' in memory of her deceased fathers.

"_Hi Charlotte. We all love you so much already."_ Kurt said as he took Santana's place in front of the incubator.

I really wanted to pick her up and cradle her in my arms, but I knew I couldn't until she got stronger, so I just memorized every little feature about her before they had to take her back.

"_That's my little sister, right daddy?"_ Olivia asked as she cuddled closer to my chest.

I wrapped my arm around her tighter. "_yes, princess, that's you little sister."_ Both her and Jack fell fast asleep on my bed with me, while I continued to stare at Rachel. When everyone left to shower and eat, I took my opportunity to talk to my wife. I didn't care if she was unconscious; I knew she would be able to hear me. She had to.

"_Rach, baby, I love you so damn much and I need you—we all need you. We have a perfect little girl and she needs to meet her mommy, and Jack and Liv need you too. I don't think I can do this alone; I don't want to do this alone. You promised you'd be here with me forever. You promised…."_

At this point my tears are flowing freely and I'm shaking uncontrollably. I'm surprised my movements and loud sobs haven't woken up the kids, but I'm glad.

"_I just…I can't be here if you're not…I don't want to live in a world where you no longer exist. Please, please hear me and come back to me. Just open those big, beautiful brown eyes I love so much, and I promise that I'll never argue with you again and always tell you that you are right. I'll be the best father I can be, but I need you Rach. I need to hear your beautiful voice again and hear your magical laugh, and fuck, I will settle for your devastating sad cry, just as long as you're here. Come on, baby, be your dramatic self and open those eyes now and chastise me for using curse words in front of the kids."_

I watched her body for movement for a couple of seconds, thinking that my speech reached deep down inside her and would awaken her from her coma. But life doesn't work like the movies. She didn't wake up, and she may never wake up. I cried myself to sleep—not for the last time—dreaming of Rachel and our love story before this nightmare began…

* * *

12 days. It's been 12 days since she came out of surgery and she hasn't woken up, or shown any signs of doing so. Her doctors say that her vitals are strong and she is healing well, but her body went through so much trauma that she may never recover and wake up from the coma. I got released from the hospital three days ago, and it was the worst feeling in the world to leave behind my wife and daughter. But, life had to go on because I still have two children to care for and love, so I try to put on a brave face for them and visit for as long as they allow me.

Charlotte is getting bigger and stronger, and she no longer needs help breathing so she is out of the NICU. Usually, premature babies have to stay in the hospital until their original due date, but her doctors believe that she could go home in a week or two instead of four.

Right now, I am holding my baby girl and Olivia and Jack are sitting next to me while we visit Rachel. They like to tell her what they did the previous day, and it's always entertaining because spending the day with Kurt and Santana is definitely an adventure.

"_Uncle Kurt and Aunt Santy took us to the zoo and we made all the animal sounds with them. I saws a baby elephant and I names it Charlotte cause that's what babies are named."_

Jack interrupted his sister so he could tell some of the story too. "_And then we gots ice cream and they told us not to tell mommy or daddy cause it wasn't organic, and it was so yummy."_ I laughed at his little slip up.

"_Ok, it's almost dinner time so we have to get ready to say goodbye to mommy."_

They both pouted their lips and I really couldn't blame them. I didn't want to leave Rach either. "_Why don't we sing mommy a song?"_

_"Yeah! Your song, daddy! Mommy sings us that song all the time when you're at work really late cause it reminds her of you."_

_"Alright." _ I said, knowing exactly which son they meant. This really was our song—Rachel's song. I always sang it to her when she had a bad day, or just wanted to hear me sing. When I sang it, her eyes lit up and the love shining through them was pure sunshine and magic. What I would give to see that one more time.

I cleared my voice and started…

"It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside

I'm not one of those who can easily hide

I don't have much money, but boy if I did

I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no

Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show

I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do

My gift is my song, and this one's for you"

I looked pointedly at Jack and Olivia, letting them know that their part was next and they began to sing loud and clear the chorus which Rachel had taught them.

"And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple, but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world"

Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Quinn, my mother, and Burt came in as they finished singing the chorus, and had bright smiled on their faces. They joined in with me on the next verse, and the light in Olivia and Jack's eyes—Rachel's eyes—was almost as bright as their mothers.

"I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss

Well, a few of the verses, well, they've got me quite cross

But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song

It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do

You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue

Anyway the thing is what I really mean

Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple, but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world"

We finished together, and the twins clapped their hands together in excitement.

"_We did it daddy! We sings the song to mommy with you!"_

"_Yeah…"_ I looked over at Rachel, expected her to wake up but I saw the same, lifeless form. "_Yeah, we sang it together."_

We all kissed Rachel goodnight and walked out of the room to leave for the night. I broke away from them so I could take Charlotte back to the nursery, and told them that I would meet them down in the lobby. I needed some personal, one on one time, with my tiny, newest princess, so I walked slowly down the hall.

I was about halfway down the hall, distracted by Charlotte's cute little scrunched up face, telling me she was hungry, when I heard a loud commotion coming from behind me. I turned, curious as to what was going on, when I saw nurses and doctors rushing into a room…Rachel's room.

"_No!"_ I silently screamed in my head. I hurried back to her room, careful of the precious life in my arms. "_What's going on? That's my wife's room!"_ I was shouting at the first nurse I came upon, frantically trying to get past her to see Rachel.

"_Sir, you need to calm down. Your wife has woken up, and you cannot be hysterical when you go in there. She is still fragile."_ Everything after, 'your wife had woken up', flew right in one ear and out the other. The only thing I cared about was that Rachel was awake.

I calmed myself by remember Charlotte was with me, and nodded. "_Ok, I'm good. Please, let me see my wife."_ I pleaded, and she immediately moved aside so I could go into the room.

There were several nurses and doctors around her, looking at the machines connected to her and asking questions.

"_Rachel, my name is Dr. Kesler. Can you hear me?"_ I didn't see or hear what she said before the next set of questions were asked. "_Ok, good. You were in an accident, and have been in a coma for two weeks. Do you remember anything?"_

I moved so I could see her face as she thought about this question. She looked terrified, but I knew running up to her right now and comforting her would probably make matters worse. What if she didn't know who I was and I freaked her out even more?

She nodded her head slightly, and then choked out a weak yes. The nurses immediately held a straw to her lips and she took a little sip of water. This time when she spoke, it was more like the Rachel I knew and loved.

"_Yes, I remember. Please tell me everyone else is ok?"_ She was pleading with the doctor, and I knew this was my time to appear. She was going to be so happy that the baby and I were ok, but losing her fathers would be absolutely devastating—she needed to hear it from me.

I tapped the doctor lightly on the shoulder and she instantly understood, she moved slightly to the side, and as soon as I came into view, Rachel began crying and wincing in pain.

"_Baby, be careful. I'm right here—we're right here."_ I took her left hand gently and moved Charlotte in my arms so that she could get a better view at our girl. "_This is our baby girl, Charlotte Rose Berry Hudson, and she couldn't wait to meet her mommy."_ We were both sobbing by know, and someone must have alerted everyone else to Rachel's current status, because soon we were surrounded by six crying adults and two very happy toddlers.

I bent down and kissed her forehead, and whispered into her hair. "_Thank you, Rachel. Thank you for coming back to me. I love you more than any words can describe."_

She gave me a beaming smile in return. "I love you too, Finn. I will never leave without you. I promised…_"_ I wish I could have seen my face when she said that, because it must have been priceless. Had she heard what I told her when she first came out of surgery, telling her that she promised to be with me forever? She couldn't have, could she? She didn't give anything away, and just turned to face the rest of our family and friends.

* * *

October 2022

**Rachel:**

It has been three months since the accident, and I thank everyday extra that I get to spend with my wonderful friends and family. Things are crazier than they've every been, but at the same time calmer—if that even makes sense at all. We now have three kids to love and take care of—but I suppose it's fairly easy if you've ever seen just how adorable they are—and life goes on even if you lost two weeks of your life.

Since our accident kind of put a damper on our 10-year high school reunion, it was rescheduled for Labor Day weekend. I felt so badly that I was part of the reason for ruining the original reunion that I decided to plan a really great second one—with the help of Kurt of course—where everyone would have a blast and the tragedy of July wouldn't not be the focal point. It was interesting to see a bunch of people we went to high school again to say the least. Most of these people either ignored or bullied us, and now they were falling at our feet, asking for autographs or some favor or money. I tried my best to be warm and nice—even when I wanted to yell at them for what they did—because there was no way I would ever treat people the way they treated me back then. It was in the past, and if anything has changed since the accident, it was my perspective on life.

I always knew that my time was limited, but until it was actually threatened, I didn't really know, you know? Now, I try to live everyday, every minute, to the fullest, by showing the people I love just how much they mean to me. Missing my dads is a part of everyday life, but I cannot dwell on my sadness—they wouldn't want that—I need to pay attention to those who are in my life now. Finn, Jack, Olivia, Charlotte, Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Quinn, Carole, and Burt were there for me every single day. And Mercedes, Tina, Mike, Sam, Brittany, Artie, Noah, and the Schue's are just a phone call away. People die, so I needed to take advantage of the time I got with each one of them.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by two rambunctious toddlers running into the kitchen yelling.

"_Mommy, mommy, mommy! We gots to go to school now! We can't be late! Today's the day!"_

I laughed at my excited daughter. "_Livs, calm down, we will be there right on time. You don't even have your play until the afternoon, sweetheart."_

She huffed and her bangs blew up off her forehead. "_But mommy, I need to prepare."_

"_Yes, mommy, she needs to prepare."_ Finn said with a huge grin on his face as he walked in with Jack on his back and Charlotte in his arms.

"_Fine, are we all ready to go?"_ I gave Finn a dirty look, but he continued to smile widely.

"_Yep!"_ Both Jack and Olivia yelled in unison and jumped up in down with their respective backpacks on. They were in preschool now, and they absolutely loved everything about it—especially the big production their class was putting on today, Peter Pan. Olivia was playing Peter Pan, of course she somehow managed to snatch it away from all the boys, and Jack was playing the trusty dog, Nana, which Finn and I found hilarious. Olivia definitely caught the acting and singing bug, while Jack was more into sports, trains, and asking lots and lots of questions.

The kids raced to the door and Finn and I came up behind them rolling the baby stroller along with us. I gently shoved Finn because he just wouldn't stop smiling and looking down at me.

"_What?"_ I asked, unable to hide a smile from creeping on my face.

"_Nothing, babe, it's just so cute how alike you two are."_

I laughed because it was so right. "_I think she's going to be a handful. I know I was."_

_"Are. Rach, you still are a handful, but that's why I love you and that's why I love Livy. You add a lot of excitement and drama to me and Jack's calm, laidback lives."_ I playfully smacked his arm, but smiled brightly.

"_I love you too Finn. I wonder who this one will take after. Probably be a wildcard, and end up like Santana."_ I muttered under my breath.

"_Oh, god, anything but that."_ Finn said jokingly, but I knew he was halfway serious. Ironically, just then, Santana came bursting through the door.

She looked at both of and greeted us in her usualy, crass greeting. "_Hey Frankenteen, Bitch. If you two aren't careful, I'm going to steal these little munchkins and they will be so totally corrupted you won't even want them back."_

Finn and I turned towards each other and broke out into laughter. Hopefully, Charlotte won't end up like Santana, but no matter what, we will love her to death, just like we do Santana.

"_Language Santana."_ I jokingly chastised, and she just rolled her eyes at me and pulled the kids outside.

I took Finn's hand and intertwined our fingers, looking up at him with only love in my eyes. He returned the look and placed a big kiss to my lips and moaned my named when I deepened it by slipping my tongue in his mouth.

He chuckled as he pulled back from me. "Rach, we should probably take them to school first, but I promise, as soon as we get home, I'm going to f-u-c-k you in every position and in every room of the house."

I blushed at his spelled-out, whispered promise, and squeezed my hand in his. "_I'm holding you to that Mr. Hudson."_

* * *

**I hope you liked the story and please review! Thanks so much for following along with my version of Finn and Rachel :)**


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